Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 17:35:26 -0700 From: Jean Richter Subject: 6/30/2000 P.E.R.S.O.N. Project news 1. Action alert regarding Boy Scout court decision from Scouting For All 2. NY: Organizations needed to help support safe schools bill =========================================================================== 1. Action alert regarding Boy Scout court decision from Scouting For All [Further information is available on our web site at URL: http://www.youth.org/loco/PERSONProject/Alerts/Current/alert.html ] From: MDonahue98@aol.com Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2000 21:08:16 EDT Subject: Scouting For All Action Alert in Response to the Dale Vs BSA Decision To: MDonahue98@aol.com, COZZAHIVED@aol.com [[Sender note: Please pardon the intrusion if this is an unwanted email. Below is a very important ***Call to Action*** from Scouting For All (http://www.scoutingforall.org), an organization that strives to end the homophobic, discriminatory practices of the Boy Scouts of America. I am blind copying this email to organizations, listservs and individuals that I know either personally or by reputation who may have an interest in this topic. If you have already received this information from another source, I apologize for the redundancy. - Mark Donahue]] >Related news story: http: //www.datalounge.com/datalounge/news/record.html?record=8329 <> Scouting For All's Response to the Dale Vs BSA Supreme Court Decision Scouting For All Action Alert in Response to the Dale Vs BSA Decision Today, June 28, 2000 the Court clearly stated that the BSA is a private organization. They have the right to discriminate against any person they want to as a private organization. So the Boy Scouts of America have finally been "outed." Since they are a private organization, they are not entitled to any government support. So, until such time as the BSA changes their policy of bigotry and discrimination against gays, we are calling for the following actions: 1. That all public entities supported by taxpayer revenues "including police and fire departments and public schools" revoke the special support and privileges heretofore extended to the Boy Scouts of America; 2. That the Congress, which represents all the people, revoke the Congressional Charter of the Boys Scouts of America; and 3. We call upon the President of the United States "who represents all Americans" to resign as the Honorary President of the Boy Scouts of America. 4. We call upon all supporters to join us in a National Day of Protest at the Headquarters of the Boy Scouts of America in Irving, Texas, at a date to be set soon. During this National Day of Protest for those who are unable to join us at the BSA headquarters we are asking that you protest in front of your local council. For further information in planning this National Day of Protest please contact Scouting For All at info@scoutingforall.org or call 707-778-0564. Board of Directors Scouting For All ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- Scouting For All Committed to Scouting, Open to Diversity June 28, 2000 Dear Mr. Williams, Please respond to the attached letter dated June 28, 2000. My son Steven Cozza, now an Eagle Scout, had written to your predecessor on two different occasions and never received a response from him to his inquiry. Scouting For All sent you a letter dated May 6, 2000 requesting a response, and to this date has not received one. You may not agree with our belief that there is no room in Scouting for bigotry and discrimination, in this case against gay youth and adults, but at the very least you could respond to our sincere offer to work with scouting to help it become a program that espouses the values of cherishing the diversity of the human family. As you are aware Scouting For All is an organization that was founded by those of us in scouting or were members of the BSA. We love the scouting program and have sought to create healing change from within, which are the core values of the Scout Law and Oath. The citizenship merit badges all speak to becoming a good human being and contributing to help protect our environment and to respect and defend the rights of all people. I hope you can respect that about our efforts. We hope to hear from you soon. Sincerely, Scott Cozza, President Scouting For All ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- Scouting For All Committed to Scouting, Open to Diversity June 28 , 2000 Mr. Roy L. Williams Chief Scout Executive Boy Scouts of America PO Box 152079 Irving, TX 75015-2079 Re: Dale Denouement Dear Mr. Williams: Today the Supreme Court of the United States has spoken. Since a Scout is "loyal" and "obedient" and must "do his duty to his country," as Scouts good and true we must all abide by the High Court's ruling. However, as Solemn as it may be, a legal ruling can only constrain behavior. It cannot command or impose upon us the power of justice. For this we may look only to the guidance of our hearts and consciences and to the enlightenment of our better nature. Now that the Dale case is behind us, Scouting For All would like to challenge the Boy Scouts of America to rise to the very highest of its principles of fairness, courtesy and kindness by explicitly welcoming all, including gay men and boys, back into the American Scouting Movement. Together we can agree that the time is proper to move forward with a strong Scouting program which demonstrates that discriminatory exclusion of anyone based upon their fundamental personal characteristics is morally wrong, and that a Scout and Scouting stands for toleration and acceptance of innate human differences. As previously mentioned, Scouting For All remains deeply committed to the Scouting program in America and to ending injustice within Scouting. We are prepared to assist in every way possible to make the Scouting program available to every young American, regardless of gender, religious belief or sexual identity. We reiterate the three steps mentioned previously in our correspondence of May 6, 2000 concerning the actions the BSA and Scouting For All can take together to move toward a mutually satisfactory resolution of our differences: 1. Meet together (representatives of Scouting for All and the BSA) to formulate a new, more inclusive policy which no longer excludes gay men and boys (and others) from Scouting. 2. Work together with Scouting for All and other organizations to implement the new policy by developing seminars to educate local councils, troops and sponsors about how to deal with the diversity within Scouting. 3. Announce a general amnesty to all former Scouts, both youth and adults, who have been expelled from Scouting due to their sexual identity, religious belief or their opposition to the gay exclusionary policy, and invite them back into Scouting where they belong. Again we state that we stand ready to meet with you and your associates to discuss how together we may achieve these goals. Yours in Scouting, Scott Cozza President, Scouting For All ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- Steven Cozza, Eagle Scout's Statement on the Dale Vs BSA Supreme Court Decision June 28, 2000 I think this is a sad day in the world. This very day the human family still has hatred towards a certain group of people, gays. And by the Boy Scouts of America winning the right to discriminate they are not being good scouts. They are now going to continue to hurt the lives of millions of gay kids and adults. That is so sad. The Boy Scouts of America will continue to pretend that they are not hurting anyone with their bigotry. Their policy hurts me and millions of gay and straight scouts throughout the world. They say that people who are gay are less then they are. That they lack family values and are not moral. But you know something, it is the Boy Scouts of America who is lacking of morals when they hurt another member of the human family. If they don't change their policy on their own they should be called the bigoted Scouts of America. I thought America is supposed to be the home of the free! How can you be free if you are discriminated against, when you are denied the human rights that others in America have. Gays not only can't join the Boy Scouts they can't even marry each other when they love each other. As, President Clinton says, "An American who discriminates against another America is un-American", I'm sad to say, the Boy Scouts of America has been "outed" today as an un-America organization. I'd like to encourage my fellow scouts across the United States and throughout the world to stand with me and protest against the boy Scout's of America's discrimination against gay youth and adults. We are not giving up. Steven Cozza, Eagle Scout Co-founder Scouting For All GSA leader Petaluma HS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- A Sad Day for Scouting in America Scouting For All Statement on Dale Decision Friends, Fellow Scouts, and Supporters of Scouting For All, This is a sad day for Scouting in the United States. By reversing the New Jersey court's ruling that upheld Eagle Scout James Dale's right to participate in the Boy Scouts as an adult leader "despite his gay identity " the Supreme Court of the United States has indirectly but officially sanctioned bigotry in American Scouting. Bigotry has no place in Scouting. Scouting is for all! The decision rendered by the Supreme Court was a split one. Although the majority ruled against Dale, it was a 5 to 4. The vote was close and reflects the conservative Supreme Court the United States has at this time . Although this ruling settles the issue for the short run, the Court has reversed itself following upon previous split opinions and may do so again. For instance, in the late 1890s segregation by race was ruled by the United States Supreme Court as Constitutional. This Supreme Court decision was overruled by the Brown vs the California Board of Education in 1954, which said segregation is inherently unconstitutional. We confidently believe the Supreme Court will eventually revisit this ruling in the future with different results. Until then, Scouting For All must abide by the High Court's ruling, since a Scout is "obedient" and "does his duty to his country." Although we regret that the law cannot compel the Boy Scouts to cease bigotry and discrimination, they may still do so voluntary as a result of the conscience and compassion of the majority of Scouts and Scouters. We believe that they will. As we mourn the Dale decision, we also mourn the continuing pain and sadness caused by this cruel "policy" of the Boy Scouts. Their bigoted stance continues to cost dearly: Far too many fine and upstanding boys are being harassed, debased, scorned, rejected and excluded, for nothing they have done except simply being who they are. Far too many good men are being humiliated, spurned, dismissed and expelled, either because they also are "morally straight" about themselves (that is, true/honest), or because they courageously support those who are. Knowing of their pain and sadness, we commend these men and boys for their great courage - their courage to be themselves, and to be good Scouts despite the flaws of Scouting. By standing firm against injustice, by remaining true to themselves and the ideals of Scouting, we recognize that they have honorably lived up to the Scout Law - that a Scout is "trustworthy" and "brave." This gay exclusionary issue has shamefully rent asunder American Scouting. It dishonors many who have served Scouting with devotion and distinction. It disgraces Scout officials and volunteers who enforce it. It harms everyone. Despite this legal setback, the conclusion of this court case does not signal the end of the efforts of Scouting For All. We do not intent to fold our tents and steal away. In some ways our work has just now begun. In fact, we must now increase our efforts to continually remind the Scouts of their injustices until they choose to do other otherwise. The Court has ruled that the law cannot force Scouting as an organization to cease discriminating against gays. But individual Scouts, troops and councils may still choose to cease this destructive course. And we are confident that the National Council must eventually do so too if the honor of Scouting is to be upheld. To this end, Scouting For All will pursue the following measures: 1. We will continue to remain ready and willing to meet with representatives of the National Council of the Boy Scouts of America to assist them to formulate a clear policy that rescinds the exclusion of gay men and boys from Scouting. 2. We will encourage all local Scout Councils and chartered organizations to protest this policy to the National Council, to adopt local measures accepting gay Scouts and leaders in their ranks, and to develop programs to educate and sensitize local Scout leaders about the issues of discrimination. 3. We will encourage troops and their chartered organizations to accept gay boys and men in their ranks and to protest discrimination against them to the National Council. 4. We will continue to support and advise individual gay boys and men who wish to participate in Scouting to persevere in their quest, and encourage gay Scouts and Scout leaders to continue on in the Scouting program. Obviously, there is much to be done. Even in the face of this disappointment, Scouting For All maintains its faith in the basic values of the Scouting Movement. Bigotry is not a Scouting value. We shall hold the honor of Scouting in trust, patiently awaiting the day when Scouting returns to its own ideals of brotherhood and kindness, and when healing and reconciliation are embraced by all Scouts in America. In the meantime, Scouting For All will continue its mission to eradicate all forms of discrimination within the Boy Scouts of America. We call upon all those of goodwill within Scouting and upon Scouts everywhere, both past and present, to join with us in these worthy efforts. Together we will continue to lobby the BSA to expand its vision of service to youth, free of discrimination, by accepting the participation of gay men and boys, as well as girls and atheists. Only when these goals are attained will Scouting in America truly be for all. June 28, 2000 As written by kirk Thomas, Eagle Scout, Board Member Scouting For All ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -- ================================================================================== 2. NY: Organizations needed to help support safe schools bill From: SARATOGANY@aol.com Date: Fri, 30 Jun 2000 19:43:26 EDT Subject: NYS Education Depatment:School District Index for The NYS Administrators/Schools Msg from: The Coalition for Safer Schools of NYS, PO Box 2345, Malta, NY 12020 Email to: saratogany@aol.com "The Actual or Perceived GLBT Student Protection Project" This message has been sent to the (NY) Dignity for All Students Act Task Force (The Task Force is seeking NY State organization's Dignity Act endorsement. GLBT and non-GLBT (including race, ethnicity, religion and disabilty organizations etc) are encouraged to join with us, i.e. New York State United Teachers and many others, in support of the Dignity for All Students Act. FIND bill text (A9244d and S8775) at: New York State Assembly - Legislative Information System http://www.assembly.state.ny.us/ALIS/ =================================================================== New York State School District Index http://www.nysed.gov/admin/admindex.html ==================================================================== PRIMER WEBSITES GLSEN --- Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network www.glsen.org Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund www.lambdalegal.org Safe Schools Coalition of Washington www.safeschools-wa.org The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project Home Page www.youth.org/loco/PERSONProject/ Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays www.pflag.org Empire State (NY) Pride Agenda www.prideagenda.org "The Actual or Perceived GLBT Student Protection Project" A project of: Coalition for Safer Schools of New York State John Myers Director of Operations and Programs PO Box 2345 Malta, NY 12020 (518) 587-0176 Email: saratogany@aol.com (To subscribe or unsubscribe (CSS-NYS Email List) send request to saratogany@aol.com) =============================================================================== Jean Richter -- richter@eecs.berkeley.edu The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project (Public Education Regarding Sexual Orientation Nationally) These messages are archived by state on our information-loaded free web site: http://www.youth.org/loco/PERSONProject/