Laughing With

gaywrites:

Teen activist Zach Wahls, whose testimony for marriage equality in Iowa went viral, delivered a petition urging the Boy Scouts of America to reinstate a den leader who was forced out of her position when it was discovered she was gay.

Jennifer Tyrrell, the mother of a 7-year-old Cub Scout, started a petition on Change.org in April after being told she couldn’t be a den leader anymore because of her sexual orientation. The petition has more than 275,000 signatures, and Wahls was set to deliver it to the Boy Scouts’ National Annual Meeting today. 

“It is both disappointing and discouraging that the Boy Scouts continue to fixate on the identity of adult leaders instead of the content of their characters,” Wahls said in a statement. “In the Boy Scouts, I learned valuable lessons about bravery, respect, and not passing judgment on others. If only the Boy Scouts would practice what they preach and end this discriminatory policy against families, youth and leaders.”

The petition has also gained support from celebrities including the likes of Josh Hutcherson, Julianne Moore, Fran Drescher, Benicio Del Toro, Ricky Martin, Kelly Osbourne, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and more.

“I feel so lucky to have the support of thousands of scouts, scout leaders and former scouts. These are people who know firsthand how valuable scouting can be, but also know how damaging the policy prohibiting gay youth and gay leaders can be for troops and communities,” Tyrrell said in a press statement. “I remain extremely hopeful that this network of current and former scouts and scout leaders can create the type of change within the Boy Scouts organization, and that soon we will see a Boy Scouts that truly values tolerance, diversity, and respect within its membership.”

Zach Wahls is up there on the list of activists I want to meet ASAP. Also props to this mom for standing up for her family. Sometimes people really do shine the most in the worst situations.