Boy Scouts disappointed Caterpillar drops support
Boy Scouts disappointed by Caterpillar decision to drop support over gay ban
FILE - In this June 13, 2012 file photo, the Caterpillar logo is seen on earth moving equipment in Springfield, Ill. A spokesperson for Caterpillar Inc. said Thursday, June 13, 2013, the Peoria, Ill-based heavy equipment maker it will no longer give money to the Boy Scouts of America because the organization bars homosexual adults from serving as scout leaders. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman, File)
PEORIA, Ill. (AP) -- Boy Scouts of America says it is disappointed Caterpillar Inc. will no longer give money to the group.
But public relations director Deron Smith on Thursday thanked the Peoria-based heavy equipment manufacturer for its past support.
Caterpillar spokeswoman Rachel Potts said Thursday that the Caterpillar Foundation has decided to withdraw its supports for Boy Scouts of America. Potts says the company believes the group's policy barring homosexual adults from serving as scout leaders is discriminatory.
Potts said the decision wasn't necessarily related to the Boy Scouts of America's recent decision to allow homosexual scouts, while still prohibiting participation by openly homosexual adults.
Other companies such as United Parcel Service and Intel Corporation stopped supporting the scouts well before the recent decision.
