Scouting for All's Call For Action: Atheist Eagle Scout, Kicked Out By The Boy Scouts of America

Press Release
Scouting for All Action Alert
For Immediate Distribution to friends and the media
November 18, 2002
Contact

Scott Cozza, Pres.
Scouting for All
707-778-0564

Darrell Lambert, Eagle Scout, Atheist
360-895-6057 or Lambertdarr@aol.com

Darrell and 1,000s of other atheist and gay (GLBT) scouts don't need your sympathy. They don't need a pat on the back. They need you to step forth. They need you to take action to help change the BSA's policy of exclusion. Silence equals discrimination and bigotry. Please don't contact Darrell unless you decide to step forth and do something.

Scouting for All's Call For Action: Atheist Eagle Scout, Kicked Out By The Boy Scouts of America

Darrell Lambert, 19 year old Eagle Scout was kicked out of Scouting by the Boy Scouts of America for being an atheist. The current national leadership of the Boy Scouts of America continues to violate its own Scout Law and Scout Oath with its' continued practice of discrimination against gay (GLBT) and atheist youth and adults. The Boy Scouts of America is a private organization and therefore has the right to discriminate. It doesn't have to discriminate. The current BSA National leadership is
leading scouting in America down a dark path of bigotry and corrupting a once proud outdoor youth program.

Scouting for All is asking members of the Boy Scouts of America both paid and volunteers and the general public who believe in social justice, human rights, scouting in America, and our gay and atheist children to take action against the BSA until its' policy of discrimination is rescinded.

We are asking that you do the following:

Letters of Protest

1. Write letters of protest to the scout council Darrell belongs to in Seattle WA and the BSA National Office in TX. Also send copies of your letters to your local media and BSA funders.

Chief Seattle Council
PO Box 440408
Seattle, WA 98114-4408
Tel. 206-725-5200 Fax. 206-723-4330

Boy Scouts of America National Headquarters
Relationships Committee
PO Box 152079
Irving, TX 75015-2079
Tel. 972-580-2000

Boycott and Protest Funders of the Boy Scouts of America

2. The BSA should not be receiving funding from companies and organizations that have anti-discrimination policies. Identify these companies and United Ways that continue to fund the BSA and advocate against such contributions. Many of these companies and United Ways are in violation of their own anti-discrimination policies when they fund the BSA. Also please send the name and address of any company and or United Way that donates to the BSA to Scouting for All, PO Box 2832, Petaluma, CA 94953-2832 or to cozzahived@aol.com Please include contact information for the funders you identify.

There is only one scout council in the United States that has absolutely denounced the BSA National policy of exclusion, the Peidmont Council in Peidmont California. Don't be fooled by those scout councils that say they won't discriminate. When questioned everyone of them says it adheres to the national policy of exclusion. Certain scout councils are misleading
funders to secure funding. On October 9, 2002, co-Presidents of the Petaluma H.S. GSA Gay Straight Alliance, Steven Cozza, Eagle Scout and Katie O'Brien, interviewed Scott Oldenberg, Scout Executive of the Redwood Empire Council, Santa Rosa, California. Oldenberg is quoted as saying,"BSA National sent all Scout Councils a mandate that they must adhere to the national policy of excluding gays and atheists". He also went on to say that "gays have character deficits" as the reason for their
being excluded from the BSA. So Don't let Scout Councils fool you to secure their funding.. If they say they won't discriminate against atheists and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered youth and adults have them put it in writing.

Adult Scout Leaders Must Speak Out On Behalf Of Atheist And Gay Scouts :Don't Allow Yourself To Walk The Path Of A Coward By Remaining Silent

3. Scott Cozza, Pres., Scouting for All states:

"We are asking those BSA adult leaders and paid staff who believe the BSA's policy against our gay (GLBT) and atheist children and adults is wrong,, to take a stand. We must go beyond writing anti-discrimination statements for our scout units and chartering organizations. We must make it known to the public and the BSA national that we will not adhere to its bigoted policy of exclusion. Scout Councils must also make public statements denouncing the BSA National policy of exclusion by writing its' own anti-discrimination policy that includes gays (GLBT) and atheists. As adult leaders, if we don't step forth for our youth then we are cowards and are violating our own Scout Oath and Law. I ask all of you, how can you stay in scouting without speaking out, while gay (GLBT) and atheist (children) scouts and adult leaders and parents have to hide who they are
out of fear of being kicked out? Who will be there for you if discrimination falls on your path? We must draw the line with BSA National leadership that there is no room in scouting for bigotry. Our youth need us to speak out now!"