Scouting for All's Protest and Candlelight Memorial at The Boy Scouts of America's National Council Conference Being Held in Grapevine, Texas May 24-25, 2005

Scouting for All Action Alert
May 6, 2005
For Immediate Release and Distribution

We Step forth to oppose the discrimination of the Boy Scouts of America against Gay and Atheist youth and adults. The Boy Scouts of America gives a very harmful and destructive message to all youth.

Please contact individuals, organizations, and groups in the Dallas, Texas area to join us.

For further Information Contact
Scott Cozza, Pres., Scouting for All
707-778-0564
Email - cozzahived@aol.com
Web site- www.scoutingforall.org



Scouting for All's Protest and Candlelight Memorial at The Boy Scouts of America's National Council Conference Being Held in Grapevine, Texas
May 24-25, 2005

Location of Press Conference
Baymont Inn and Suites DFW-Lewisville
780 E. Vista Ridge Mall Drive
Lewisville, TX
The hotel tel. Is 972-459-8000

Location of Protest
Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center
1501 Gaylord Trail
Grapevine, Texas

Location of Candlelight Vigil
Lee Park, Dallas, Texas
(See below for specific meeting location)
Schedule Of Events

Tuesday, May 24

-Press Conference Begins at 1000 AM -1100 AM at the Baymont Inn & Suites DFW-Lewisville, Texas

After the Press Conference we will:
1. Protest All Day in front of the Gaylord Resort 1200 noon until 5 pm
2. Father Correll, and Scott Cozza will lead a contingent to the BSA at the national conference in Grapevine, Texas

a. to hand deliver a letter representing over 100 Religious and Atheist leaders from throughout the nation and some internationally
b. We will also ask that both John C. Cushman III., President and Mr. Roy L. Williams, Chief Scout Executive to step down from their positions as an act to help save the BSA from its current moral decline, which has lead to a decrease in membership over the last 5 years.

Wednesday, May 25

-Protest All Day in front of the Gaylord Resort Begins at 9 am ends 5 pm

-Candlelight Vigil in memory of GLBT youth who have taken their lives because they felt like they didn't belong, being held at Lee Park
a. We will gather in Dallas at 7PM in front of Oak Lawn Library, Kroger parking lot, at the corner of Cedar Springs and Douglas Streets with flashlights (We suggest flashlights in place of lighted candles). We will walk to Lee Park, where we will have a few moments of silence and then all who participate will have the opportunity to say a few words. Each light will represent 100s of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth who have taken their lives because they felt rejected, like they didn't belong.

Together We Stand And Together We Will Continue To Make A Difference

We invite community leaders from various groups to step forth and participate with us. Together we stand and together we will continue to make a difference against social injustice. We'd like to have representatives from the GLBT, religious, non-theist communities as will as civil rights groups, PFLAG, Soul Force, HRC, NGLTF, NOW, GLSEN, ACLU and GLBT / GSA youth groups to participate in the Press Conference, Protest, and Candlelight vigil. Please contact Scott Cozza as listed above.
Statement of Purpose

Scouting for All members / volunteers, concerned individuals, and community groups will be leading a protest and a candlelight memorial vigil at the Boy Scouts of America's National conference. Scouting for All is asking assistance from its individual members and supporters as well as national and community based organizations, GLBT groups, religious and non-theist groups in Dallas and surrounding communities. We will be organizing a protest at the Boy Scouts of America's Annual National Conference for Scout Councils. This will be the 5th year we have lead a protest at this conference. BSA national leadership from Irving Texas and scout councils from every state in the country will be attending the conference in Grapevine, Texas. They will be discussing policy and the future of scouting in America. For those of you who are not in the Grapevine / Dallas area, but know an individual or organization in the area please pass this Action Alert on to them.

We will all be standing together to defend the rights of our gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and non-theist youth and adults. The current leadership of the Boy Scouts of America have corrupted both the Scout Oath and Law for their own political and religious agendas by discriminating against GLBT and atheist youth and adults. Scouting was founded for all youth to participate in not just some youth. There is no room in Scouting for bigotry and discrimination of any form. In fact there is no room in American society for discrimination. We ask you to become a voice against the social injustice of the Boy Scouts of America by helping with our efforts to make this protest and Candlelight Vigil the largest we've ever had. Together we stand and together we shall overcome the social injustice of the BSA, which is a reflection of the social injustice that continues to prevail in American society.

In an unprecedented act Father Correll, Catholic priest will lead a contingent of religious and atheist leaders to the BSA national headquarter in Irving, Texas. They will deliver a letter signed by over 100 religious and atheist leaders from throughout the nation and some internationally asking the BSA to rescind it policy of exclusion against gay and atheist youth and adults. This is the first time in history that religious and atheist leaders were asked and have agreed to stand together to oppose a social injustice! This time the social injustice is imposed by the Boy Scouts of America against both the homosexual and atheist communities. As President Clinton said, " To discriminate against an American is Un-American." An American institution, the Boy Scouts of America has un-American policy of discrimination. The BSA national leadership in Irving, Texas is currently acting un-America.

Sincerely,
Scott Cozza, President
Scouting for All