Jennifer Tyrrell and Zach Wahls on
Wednesday responded to the Boy Scouts of America's (BSA) delay on
deciding whether to end its national ban on gay scouts and leaders.
The BSA's national board was
considering a proposal which would allow local chapters to decide the
issue for themselves. Citing the issue's complexity, the board
instead announced it was delaying the decision until May.
(Related: Boy
Scouts delay decision on lifting gay ban.)
Appearing on CNN before the decision
was announced, Tyrrell, the Ohio mom who was ousted as den leader of
her son's Boy Scout troop because she is a lesbian, became emotional,
saying the issue was “very personal” for her.
“Scouting is special. We loved it,”
a
tearful Tyrrell said. “In fact, I was the last person to
expect to love it, to be completely honest. But I saw a change in
him. I saw him come out of his shell. He changed; he just became a
better person, so did I.”
In a statement provided by GLAAD,
Tyrrell said that the Boy Scouts had “failed to be brave today.”
“The Boy Scouts had the chance to
help countless young people and devoted parents, but they've failed
us yet again. No parent should have to look their child in the eye
and explain that the Boy Scouts don't want us. Our fight will
continue and we will continue to educate donors and supporters of the
Boy Scouts about the effects of their anti-gay policy.”
Wahls, the founder of Scouts for
Equality, a leading voice calling for an end to the ban, called the
decision an “abdication of responsibility.”
“By postponing this decision, the BSA
has caved to those who argue that their anti-gay attitudes trump
basic Scouting values of kindness, courtesy and bravery. Scouting
was built on a foundation of respect and dignity. Today, the BSA
cracked that foundation.”