Active and former Boy Scouts and leaders will present the American flag during the national anthem at the NYC Pride March opening ceremony and subsequently serve as Color Guard during the march, leading more than 14,000 participants down Fifth Avenue in a celebration of recent advancements made for LGBT equality.
Despite the BSA's national policy that bans gay and lesbian adults from participating in Scouting, the Greater New York Councils, which serves nearly 150,000 Scouts in New York City, has previously stated its commitment to full inclusion of gay Scouts regardless of age.
"NYC Pride warmly welcomes Scouts for Equality to the route as our 2014 NYC Pride March Color Guard," said NYC Pride March Director, Dave Studinski. "Our 2014 theme is 'We Have Won When We're One,' and this message resonates well with Scouts for Equality's mission. From their participation in our step-off ceremony through the moment they pass the historic Stonewall Inn, may the Scout's joint display of our nation's colors and the rainbow flag remind us all that the LGBT movement seeks not tolerance, but acceptance as equals."
“We are grateful for this invitation from NYC Pride, and we are honored and humbled to provide this patriotic service to the LGBT community of New York,” said Stacey Sarnicola, Brooklyn chapter lead, Scouts for Equality. “Since 1978, the BSA has held a policy that excluded gay youth and parents. While the BSA voted last year to end the policy barring gay youth from participation, it has made no change in its membership policy regarding adults. The Greater New York Councils' inclusive policy is what gave me permission to allow my son to join the Boy Scouts. It's what gives us permission to march, and it gives us hope for a BSA for all in the near future."
"For more than a century, Scouting has shaped the leaders of tomorrow, instilling in countless young men the values of honesty, courage, and respect for everyone – values that fly in the face of the BSA's ban on gay adults," said Seth Adam, Director of Communications at GLAAD. "That local Scouts will now be leading one of the world's most iconic LGBT Pride events is a testament to both how far we've come and how far we have left to go in the pursuit of full equality. Until gay and lesbian adults and parents can partake in their own children's lives through Scouting, the Boy Scouts will continue to fall behind a rapidly growing majority of Americans, who agree that no one should be discriminated against because of who they love."
Among those carrying flags will be:
David Knapp, 87, one of the most respected and tenured advocates for equality in Scouting, who was forced out of the BSA in 1993 after 55 years of service when it was discovered that he is gay.
Former BSA Salt Lake City Scoutmaster Peter Brownstein, who was forcibly removed from Scouting after he and his Eagle Scout son delivered pizzas to same-sex couples waiting to marry in Utah: www.cnn.com/2013/12/25/us/utah-boy-scout-pizza-for-gays/
Uniformed Scouts and Leaders who proudly stand as LGBT allies.
Greater New York Councils’ Position:
According to a statement from the BSA’s Greater New York Councils (GNYC), in its 104-year history the GNYC’s administration has never denied membership to a youth or adult due to sexual orientation. GNYC says:
“We believe that the right, moral, forward-looking policy for the BSA nationwide is to have an inclusive policy that welcomes all to our program, without regard to sexual orientation. We strongly believe that both gay adults and youth must be welcomed in Scouting.”
Under this mandate, Brooklyn Scouts for Equality invites all regional Scouts, Scouters, alumnus, and families – Cubs, Scouts, Ventures, and Explorers – to join the march on June 29 in their Scout uniforms, supporting the beginning of a fully-inclusive, national BSA.. To sign up, visit www.facebook.com/events/746718882037704.
