The Walt Disney Company announced Friday that it will halt charity funding toward the Boy Scouts of America in 2015 because of the national organization's membership policy that bans leaders from being openly gay, CNN reported.

The entertainment company, however, does not give BSA or its local chapters direct funds but Disney gives cash donations to charities of its employees' choice for participating in volunteer work through the VoluntEARS program.

Essentially Disney employees in the volunteer program can no longer donate the funds to BSA but its employees who volunteer with the Scouts will not be affected.

Disney's decided to their actions were necessary based on its charitable giving guidelines, which states that Disney can relinquish funding toward organizations that "discriminate in the provision of services unlawfully or in a manner inconsistent with Disney's policies on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, age, marital status, mental or physical ability, or sexual orientation."

Last year BSA voted to allow gay youths to join the organization but upheld its ban of gay leaders.

BSA responded to Disney's action in a statement from its spokesperson Deron Smith: "We believe every child deserves the opportunity to be a part of the Scouting experience, and we are disappointed in this decision because it will impact our ability to serve kids."

Eagle Scout and Scouts for Equality co-founder Zach Wahls said in a statement that although it is not the group's intention for BSA to suffer because of its leadership policy, it approved of Disney's action against BSA.

"We're never happy to see Scouting suffer as a result of the BSA's anti-gay policy, but Disney made the right decision to withhold support until Scouting is fully inclusive," Wahls said.

Along with Disney and Scouts for Equality, organizations and companies such as AT&T, Fidas, Major League Soccer, Intel and UPS have also ceased any affiliation with BSA over the Scouts ant-gay policy.