The protection to choose for a CO is very narrowly drawn to unit-serving volunteers. But Scouts interact with many leaders who are either from other units, or who are paid BSA employees (camp staff is the big one). So the protection is cold comfort unless the unit wants to live in isolation from the rest of Scouting.
I just returned from camp, where the challenges are very clear to me. Camp staffing, with its zany and dramatic nature, will attract the "out and proud" gang like flies to honey. Yes that's a stereotype, I believe it's true enough to apply here, and I'll continue to hold it, so thanks in advance to anyone who can avoid criticizing my belief for its own sake. Anyhow, this stands to revolutionize the atmosphere at an affected summer camp... a revolution that would IMHO accelerate camp attendance declines and property selloffs ala GSUSA. But maybe that's all in the plan; some of these properties are worth a mint.
With BSA having shown willingness to capitulate as needed, the blood is in the water; and conservative CO's, natural-boy-only units, and the Duty to God will all be shown the door before the process is over. It's almost indecent for BSA to claim it will continue to have Scouters' backs in those areas, because it won't. Sometimes life is hard, and your only choices are appeasement until you cease to exist, or saying "no thank you" and either prevailing with pride or going down in a blaze of glory. We all have our druthers, but I can tell you if they'd chosen the latter path I'd be ready to lie down on the tracks for them. As of 2013, though, as soon as I knew this would happen, not anymore.
