A New Jersey appellate court ruled that the Boy Scouts of America is a "public accommodation" much like restaurants and parks, and thus could not deny homosexuals posts as scoutmasters, the group's policy to date. The court admitted the group was not much like a public accommodation as defined by the law, but that such a limited definition "would frustrate our goal of eradicating 'the cancer of discrimination' in New Jersey." Earlier, the Boy Scouts suffered another legal defeat when an Illinois court reinstated a gay scoutmaster on the grounds of employment discrimination, even though the position is voluntary and unpaid. In California, a pair of twins sued to retain their membership after they refused to recite the Scout's loyalty oath, which acknowledges the existence of God. Also in California, a teenage girl sued because she was excluded on the basis of her sex, claiming Girl Scouts activities weren't as much fun anyway.

[Ed.: No wonder. A news story headlined "Girl Scouts of the '90s tout tomboy agenda" says that badges like "Housekeeper" are out, while ones like "My Self Esteem" (a badge with a large "No. 1") are in.]

†