The Boy Scouts of America is a great program with one BAD thing. It discriminates against gay youth and adults. No one should be discriminated against. The Boy Scouts of America does not even follow its own Scout Law when it discriminates against gay people. The Scout Law says a scout... should treat others as he would want to be treated. I don't know anyone who wants to be discriminated against the way the Boy Scouts of America discriminates against gays. I am ashamed of that. We scouts have to teach our leadership how to live by their own Scout Law. Lets make the Boy Scouts of America a program for all youth. My dad went to Geneva. He spoke to officials at the Scouting World Headquarters. He found out that there are about 150 countries or associations. Of those 150 countries two-thirds of them allow girls in scouting. How come the Boy Scouts of America is one of only 50 countries in the world that doesn't allow girls. In fact the Scouting World Headquarters changed its name from Boy Scout World Headquarters in 1973 to acknowledge girls in scouting. I am in 4-H. Girls are allowed in 4-H. We go on camping outings together and it is a lot of fun. They did not have any numbers on what countries allow gays in scouting. But I know a few who do: England, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. I know there are more. In America, 4-H and the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. allow gays, lesbians, transgenders, and bisexuals in their youth programs. 4-H and Girl Scouts are great programs. According to the Boy Scouts of America 4-H and the Girl Scouts are not following family values because they let gays in and they can't be morally straight organizations. Morally straight means to live by your values, to be true to yourself. It has nothing to do with a person's sexual orientation.

Gay youth and adults should be allowed in scouting. The leading cause of death for gay youth is suicide. Gay youth feel rejected. The Boy Scouts of America's policy only makes things worse. We should be kind to one another. People are different. The world is diverse. People are like a rainbow with many different colors. Rainbows are beautiful. I'm glad rainbows are not just one color. And you know something? I don't think if you believe in God that God would discriminate against something God created. God created gay people and I know he loves gay people just like he loves transgenders, bisexuals, and lesbians. Then why does the Boy Scouts of America discriminate against gays?

Lets work together to help make the Boy Scouts of America a morally straight organization for all kids to experience. The Boy Scouts of America is a great program for kids. That is why I am a Boy Scout. I love scouting. As a good scout should, I'm just trying to make this Earth a better place. As my dad says, life is to short not to take a stand against social injustice. Please take a stand with me.

Steven Cozza
Life Rank Scout

Labor and Social Action Summer School

My name is Steven Cozza. I am 14 years old and will be a freshman at Petaluma H.S. in the Fall. I am also proud to say that I'm an Eagle Scout.

What I Did

I am ashamed of the Boy Scouts of America's policy of discrimination against gays, lesbians, transgenders and bisexuals.

When my dad told me about the BSA discrimination, I was 12 and I couldn't believe it. I was ashamed of the program I liked so much.

I decided to do something to try and change the Boy Scouts policy of discrimination. I couldn't see myself staying in scouting unless I tried to do something.

I worked on the Citizenship of the Nation merit badge. The 4th requirement asked you to pick a national issue and write to a government official.

The issue I chose was the Boy Scouts of America discrimination against gay people.

I wrote to Senator Burton, Boxer, Feinstein, Congress person Woolsey, Assembly person Mazzoni. They all were supportive but offered no answers or solutions.

I got sort of discouraged because I asked them for help and for suggestions and they just wrote back saying what they have done for gay people.

I shared with my dad that I did not say the Scout Law out of protest at the Boy Scout meetings because the Boy Scouts of America did not follow their own Scout Law when they discriminate.

My dad suggested I write a letter to the editor about the Scout Law and how the Boy Scouts of America violate their own scout law.

I did write a letter and I received several hundred phone calls and letters of support.

After getting such strong support, I decided to do a petition drive to try and get the policy changed through a grass roots effort. I wasn't going through the courts. Through the petition drive, I hope to rally people in America and around the world to put pressure on the Boy Scouts of America to change its policy. Most people don't know the Boys Scouts Organization discriminates. The petition drive is a way to educate and rally people. Most people don't know the boy Scouts of America discriminates. When they find out they are surprised and are against them discriminating.

I called a press conference on January 17, 1998 and we have been going strong ever since.

We have over 35,000 signatures from all 50 states and 18 different countries.When the Sweden Scout Association found out about the Boy Scouts of America discriminating against gays they wrote to the BSA and told them that they should not discriminate. They said discrimination goes against the tradition of scouting and violates the Scout Law and Oath.

We have our own Scouting for All web page (www.scoutingforall.org)

We have become a 501C-3 Federal Tax exempt non-profit organization.

We have a Scouting for All Board of Directors where decisions are made now. Before it was my dad and I making all the decisions. Now we have to go through our Board.

My dad has applied for and received grants.

We are now planning to ask to meet with the leaders of the Boy Scouts of America to talk with them about changing their policy.

We are going to begin to ask troops across the country to write letters of protest to the BSA stating they will not discriminate.

My dad and I have formed our own Boy Scout Troop through the BSA and will model for other troops our openness to the diversity of the human family.

Why I Did What I Did

I've taken my stand against discrimination because discrimination is really wrong.

I know and have many gay friends. It hurts me to see them hurt by such a mean policy. One man called me up and was crying because he had been kicked out when he was a kid. He couldn't believe that someone would stand up for him. He wished someone would have stood up for him when he was a kid.

The Boy Scouts policy of discrimination just teaches us scouts that it's ok to discriminate. In fact, did you know Matthew Shepherd when he was a little kid, was a cub scout?

When he grew up, he realized he was gay. He went to college in Wyoming and was murdered by an Eagle Scout. I'm sure the murder of Matthew Shepherd did not get any messages from the Boy Scouts of America that gay people were normal like anyone else.

When I heard that the Boy Scouts say gays are not normal, I say what's sick and not normal are people and organizations that discriminate and hurt or kill people because they are gay.

The Boy Scouts of America's policy of discrimination is sick and hurtful to both gay and straight kids.

I've dedicated my effort in the memory of Robin Reed, a Petaluma gay kid who took his own life because he felt like he didn't belong and to all gay youth who have taken their lives because they felt rejected. The Boy Scouts of America's policy of rejection of gay youth and adults just makes this problem worse for gay youth.

The Boy Scouts of America should be teaching our youth and scouts to love and help make the earth a better place. Instead, they are teaching us scouts to reject someone because that someone is GAY.

Whatever you do in your life, remember life is a special gift and we should use that gift to reach out to those less fortunate than we may be or to those that are experiencing a social injustice.

If one person in our community is being discriminated against and hurt, then we all should feel that hurt and reach out to help.

Ask yourself if you heard a cry for help, would you run to help or run the other way?

That is a question we will have to answer sometime in our life. The scout motto says "Be prepared"!

Know in your heart what you would do ahead of time. Do we stand in the light and shout or do we hide in the darkness of night as the cries for help go on and on and on? I have decided to take a stand.

How Have People Reacted to What I'm Doing?

At first some kids made fun of me at school. They called me gay. I'd tell them what's wrong with being gay. Being gay is normal (Steven is not gay but does not feel a need to tell those who make fun of him that he is not gay because in his heart he believes that if he were gay he'd be proud of being gay, lesbian, transgender or bisexual).

I also have gotten death threats. My dad was kicked out of my troop and Mr. Rice was kicked out of scouting because they believe that people who are gay should be allowed in scouting. Before I got my Eagle award adult leaders of my troop and the district council told me that I did not believe in the Scout Oath or Law and that I did not have the Spirit of an Eagle Scout. I just told them that I did. I asked where did they hear that and told them it was the Boy Scouts of America who doesn't follow its own Scout Law and Oath when they discriminate against people who are gay.

Most people have been very supportive and encouraging.


Steven Cozza, Eagle Scout, Panel Member Presentation
July 10, 1999
Sonoma State University
Sponsored by the North Bay Central Labor Council