Scouts for Equality - "Eagle Scouts Returning Our Badges"

Som ett resultat av Boy Scouts of Americas (BSA) beslut tidigare i somras om att inte tillåta öppet homosexuella i verksamheten har en gräsrotskampanj startat bland medlemmar runt om i hela USA. Mängder av scouter skickar helt enkelt tillbaka sina medaljer som intygar det engagemang och den kompetens de har som scouter, och tar därmed ett symboliskt och faktiskt avstånd från en organisation de - just nu - inte vill förknippas med. Mer information finns på "Scouts for Equality" och på kampansidan på Facebook. Värt att notera är att USA:s båda presidentkandidater uttalat sig för allas rätt att vara delaktiga och engagerade i scoutrörelsen.

Nedan följer ett par citat från den här sidan där personer som skickat tillbaka sina medaljer publicerar de brev som de bifogat till Boy Scouts of America.

"It gives me great sadness to return my Eagle Scout Medal and Certificate to you. I spent the majority of my childhood earning it and the entirety of my adulthood being proud of it. I have done my best to become the adult the values of Scouting espouse [..] Your policies of discrimination go against everything the Boy Scouts should stand for and you should be ashamed of the ignorance you’re promoting."

"As a Boy Scout I was taught that ethics are important and that when something is unethical you should stand up and say something. I was taught that it is wrong to exclude people, whether based on race, physical ability or sexual orientation. I was taught that a Boy Scout stands with those being persecuted, and not with the persecutor. Banning openly gay scouts and leaders is not a neutral position anymore than separate but equal was a neutral policy on race. Gay scouts and leaders have the right and obligation to be true to themselves."

"I am giving back my proudest possessions because I don’t want to have my son or daughter one day say to me, “Did you know you were a member when the Boy Scouts used to not allow gay people to join?” As an 11 year old, I remember my mother’s face contorting trying to hide the guilt after I asked her what it was like attending school in segregated North Carolina. That won’t be me."