Sherrod Brown (Eagle Scout 1969) and fellow Democratic U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon (Eagle Scout 1971) are urging their supporters today to tell the Boy Scouts of America to “do a good turn” on May 23 when their national council votes on admitting gay scouts.

The Boy Scouts last Friday announced a proposed compromise in which they would admit gay scouts, but bar gay adults from troop leadership. Brown, Merkley and Zach Wahls (Eagle Scout 2007), who heads Scouts for Equality, suggest this still would fail to embrace the moral values of scouting. They do not say so explicitly but their letter to the Boy Scouts of America — which they urge supporters to sign — calls for “a full non-discrimination policy” that includes leaders.