Boy Scouts of America Breaks “Don’t Ask” Pledge, Ousts Eagle Scout Who “Didn’t Tell”

Today, Scouts for Equality called upon the Boy Scouts of America to rehire ousted Eagle Scout Garrett Bryant, who was refused reinstatement as a camp counselor after a rumor spread that he was gay. The move comes less than a month after the BSA revoked the charter of a Seattle-area troop for refusing to fire Geoff McGrath, an openly gay Scoutmaster.

“Bob Gates, the BSA’s incoming President, knows that ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ just doesn’t work,” said Zach Wahls, Executive Director of Scouts for Equality. “A policy of discrimination at any level results in the sort of fear we see at work in the Scouts’ ouster of Garrett. Garrett is an exemplary Scout who should be rehired immediately.”

Bryant, who is 19 years old, is a youth member of a BSA Venturing Crew in Flagstaff, Ariz., where he is attending Northern Arizona University. As a youth member, he falls under the BSA’s recently adopted policy allowing the participation of all youth members, regardless of their sexuality.

“If the Scouts were to call me tomorrow and offer to rehire me, I’d do it in a heartbeat,” said Bryant.

A “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy didn’t work in the US Military and it doesn’t work in Scouting.

If you are having similar issues with the BSA’s policy, Scouts for Equality wants to hear about it. Check out our Guide to Coming Out for Scouts and use the form to tell us about your issues: http://scoutsforequality.com/comingout

Bryant had been told he was in line for a position at the summer camp’s headquarters—a move from the rifle range—when a friend on Facebook made a passing reference to his sexuality. The next thing he heard was a rumor from a friend that he wasn’t being rehired after all. The camp director eventually confronted him, explaining this his “personal choice” made him ineligible to work at the camp.

“Rumors, witch hunts and fear were the hallmark of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell,’” said Wahls. “Under the leadership of then-Defense Secretary Gates, our military learned the hard lesson that ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ only weakens the ranks and undermines the military’s broader legitimacy. We’re confident that under his leadership, we’ll see the ugly history of the BSA’s policy come to an end.”

“I met all of the requirements to be a member of the Boy Scouts of America,” continued Bryant. “I loved my job and everyone seemed to look forward to having me return this summer. The fact that a rumor spread on social media led to this is frustrating and demonstrates that the scouts have got a long way to go to bring their program into the twenty first century.”

This story comes on the heels of a Change.org petition launched by Pascal Tessier — America’s first openly gay youth Eagle Scout—asking Amazon.com to temporarily de-list the Boy Scouts of America from their chairitable Amazon Smile program. Amazon Smile program guidelines specifically prohibit any organization that engages in “intolerance, discrimination or discriminatory practices based on race, sex, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, or age”.

“It’s clear that Scouting still isn’t a safe place for LGBT+ adults and parents,” said Pascal. “This has to stop, and Amazon can help.”

Pascal’s petition has gathered nearly 100,000 signatures.

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Read the full story: http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/boy-scouts-wont-hire-me-summer-job-because-im-gay-n91731