Scouts Booted Lesbian Den Leader Solely for Sexual Orientation

A community in Ohio has rallied around the mother of a Tiger Scout who was ejected from her position as a den leader because of her sexual orientation.

Jennifer Tyrrell led her son's pack for a year before her sexual orientation became an issue, according WTOV News. She said she was initially hesitant to take the position because of the Boy Scouts of America's stance against homosexuality among scouts and leaders. A year later, she was elected treasurer of her pack, and uncovered inconsistencies in the pack's finances, she said. When she shed light on the fiscal discrepancies, she was then told she could not return to her position because she is a lesbian.

Parents and friends gathered for a peaceful protest Tuesday at a church in support of Tyrrell. Meanwhile, Tyrrell launched a Change.org petition, asking the Boy Scouts of America to reconsider its policy against gay youth and leaders.

Bob Drury, a scout executive for the Ohio River Valley, told WTOV that the decision to pull Tyrrell from her position was solely based on the fact that s he is a lesbian.

http://www.advocate.com/Society/Activism/Scouts_Booted_Lesbian_Den_Leader_Solely_for_Sexual_Orientation/