Last October, at a Scout meeting with scouts and parents, Mr. Landrey announced the troop would not follow the national policy of excluding gays.

Her son, Will, left the Boy Scouts two years ago, at age 8, when the Boy Scouts' decision to exclude gays was making front-page headlines.

Saying that marriage must be "defended" by excluding gays is like saying that voting rights must be defended by excluding blacks.

In 2012, the BSA reaffirmed their policy of excluding gays from membership in the organization.

"Marriage has been a religious institution adopted by the government and a lot of religions have defined it in a way that that excludes gays," Mr. Lesniak said.

"It is discrimination to exclude gays and lesbians from the civil institution of marriage," Ms. Stanback said, referring to Mrs. Rell's opposition to discrimination.

If the Boy Scouts cannot exclude gays, can they still exclude girls, the justices wanted to know.

Watkins continued to challenge his discharge on the grounds that the military's policy of excluding gays and lesbians from service was unconstitutional.

I don't know where anyone got the crazy idea I was prejudiced and wanted to exclude gays.