From: heather wright Subject: PFLAG News Release: PFLAG Presses BSA to End Discrimination Date: Tue, 10 Aug 1999 15:44:27 -0400 * * * PFLAG News Release * * * August 10, 1999 Contact: Eric Ferrero 202-638-4200 x212 Family Group Presses Boy Scouts of America to Follow New England Camp's Lead and End Discrimination Boy Scouts of America today said a gay youth who will get his job back at a Hopinkton, RI, Boy Scout camp is still not welcome in the national group. This comes just a day after the Narragansett Council of the Boy Scouts of America had settled a dispute with the family, calling the gay Scout an "honorable young man." The popular 16-year-old worked full-time in June at Camp Yawgood, one of New England's premier summer Scout camps. Last week, the camp director asked the youth if he was gay. When he answered affirmatively, he was fired, although camp officials deny his sexual orientation was a factor. This week, the youth's family threatened to pursue legal action. More than 90 fellow staff members staged a sit-in to protest the youth's firing, temporarily closing the camp for the first time in 84 years. Yesterday, the camp offered the youth his job back. But today's statements from Boy Scouts of America leave the youth's future in question. "This is unconscionable," said Kirsten Kingdon, Executive Director of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). "The Boy Scout camp was wrong to ask this fine young man if he is gay, regardless of how or why they asked. The community - the people who knew him best - eventually did the right thing. But Boy Scouts of America remains mired in discrimination. An organization dedicated to fostering moral leadership should be ashamed of itself for shunning this young man - and so many others like him - based solely on his sexual orientation, rather than celebrating his strong character and achievements." Many PFLAG chapters - located in more than 425 communities nationwide - actively work to eliminate Boy Scouts of America's unfair policy of barring openly gay members or leaders. PFLAG families persuade their local governments to withhold public funding of Boy Scouts, educate their communities about Boy Scouts' discriminatory practices and circulate petitions calling for an end to Boy Scouts of America's policy. "We will not stop until fairness prevails," said Kingdon, whose two sons - one gay and one straight - were Scouts. "We will not stop supporting these kids and their families. We will not stop educating our communities about this injustice. We will not stop advocating against public funding of discrimination. We will not stand by while Boy Scouts of America's anti-gay policies hurt young people and their families." NOTE: PFLAG filed an amicus brief in the case upheld last week by the New Jersey Supreme Court, outlawing the Scouts' ban on gays in that state. # # # Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) promotes the health and well-being of gay, lesbian and bisexual persons, their families & friends through support, education, and advocacy. Serving nearly 77,000 members & supporters, PFLAG affiliates are located in 425+ communities in the U.S. 1101 14th St. NW, Suite 1030, Washington, DC 20005 . phone: 202-638-4200 fax: 202-638-0243 Email info@pflag.org Web http://www.pflag.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To unsubscribe from PFLAG's Email Alert, send an email, subject line "unsubscribe" to info@pflag.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~