Jennifer Tyrrell, the former Tiger Cub
den leader dismissed because she's lesbian, said Wednesday she'll
campaign for the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) to accept gay leaders
and scouts.
Last month, the Boy Scouts removed
Tyrrell from her volunteer position, telling her that her sexuality
did not meet the group's high standards of conduct.
Tyrrell's 7-year-old son Cruz has since
dropped out of his troop.
“We can no longer support an
organization that has these policies and we hope to get them
changed,” Tyrrell told ABCNews.com.
“That is our main goal.”
“But Cruz is a little sad,” she
added. “We loved scouting.”
The 32-year-old Ohio mother has
launched a Change.org
campaign to bring awareness of the policy.
“I had no idea this would take off
like this,” Tyrrell said, referring to the nearly 150,000
signatures the petition has received. “It's humbling and very
exciting that so many people are finally agreeing with us.”
The Boy Scouts of America on Wednesday
reiterated its opposition to gay leaders and scouts.
“Scouting, and the majority of
parents it serves, does not believe it is the right forum for
children to become aware of the issue of sexual orientation, or
engage in discussions about being gay,” the group said in a
statement. “Rather, such complex matters should be discussed with
parents, caregivers, or spiritual advisers, at the appropriate time
and in the right setting.”
During an appearance on CNN, Tyrrell
conceded that she was aware of the group's policy but was assured her
sexual orientation would not be an issue. (The video is embedded in
the right panel of this page. Visit
our video library for more videos.)