After being turned down by Carly Rae Jepsen and Train, the Boy Scouts of America announced yesterday that they had found a musical act desperate enough to play the annual National Scout Jamboree, happening tonight at a private location in West Virginia.
The news is mostly shocking because nobody has voluntarily listened to 3 Doors Down since 1999, but more so because the band’s involvement with and profit from the BSA has aligned their image with an anti-gay message. After lifting a ban on gay youth earlier this year, the BSA will begrudgingly “allow” gay youth to attend tonight’s concert, so long as they’re accompanied by a heterosexual adult because LGBT folks over 18 are not “allowed” inside the annual Jamboree.
Previous acts turned down the event after receiving over 60,000 signatures from a Change.org petition launched by GLAAD and Eagle Scout Derek Nance. When contacted by GLAAD, 3 Doors Down’s management declined to comment, which is industry lingo for “leave us alone, we really need the money, you guys.”
But GLAAD isn’t having that nonsense. The organization released a statement condemning the band’s decision last night:
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
“Rather than promote an organization that actively discriminates against gay Americans, it’s time 3 Doors Down step into 2013 and withdraw their support of the Boy Scouts, joining musicians like Madonna, Train and Carly Rae Jepsen in speaking out against the Scouts’ discriminatory policy. The Boy Scouts took an important first step by allowing gay youth to participate, but if the organization expects support from celebrities, corporations and the majority of Americans who believe in fairness for all, Scouting must be open to gay parents and committed leaders over the age of 18.”
Joining a growing list of celebrities, corporate partners including Merck, UPS, Intel, Caterpillar, and Chipotle, among others, have recently severed ties with the organization.
It goes without saying that tonight’s event will be a major flop. Everyone knows a Scouting Jamboree is nothing without Shelley Long.
fredo777
@niles: * condemning
i’m sure that was a typo on the author’s part.
hyhybt
They *just* made a large change for the better. They’re not all the way there yet, but to treat them exactly the same after such a change as before is no way to encourage progress.
mjcc1987
@hyhybt: I agree here. This is not a bad thing. BOA has made big progress, still a ways to go, but at least children are not kicked out for being gay. It’s time we started being positive when organizations move our way.
Jackhoffsky
@hyhybt: @mjcc1987: I will third that. I mean, if I had a band I still wouldn’t play for them, but for a longtime American institution they have actually made some progress. That is a good thing. They have a LONG way to go, but for the kids’ sake, they are now inclusive.
stfallon1028
What. The. FUCK Three Doors Down?!?!
Richjr42
Weren’t they a “Christian Rock” band before they had their fifteen minutes of mainstream fame?
Fitz
You have got to be willing to let people, and organizations, change. Otherwise we are up the creek as a movement, and as a race.
lab
the joke is none of the scouts will have ever heard any of their songs…personally I would have loved watching a couple thousand scouts dancing to “call me maybe”…talk about gay
Goforit
@Jackhoffsky: @hyhybt: @mjcc1987: Sorry guys but I must disagree with you. The Boy Scouts did not “allow” gay youth to participate because they are evolving and want to be more inclusive. They did it to try and stave off the loss of ALL corporate sponsorship. Trying to serve two masters at the same time has never worked. They need to decide if they wish to remain a national organization or become a church sponsored christian boys camp. There is no middle ground.
Brian
The music industry is very homophobic in terms of male homosexuality. It discourages male singers from coming out of the closet. The itunes top 100 singles chart contains no openly gay or bisexual male performers.
Keep in mind that the business model for male singers is that you must market yourself as strictly heterosexual. Even if you are gay, you must pretend to be heterosexual. As a man, you are not allowed to break this business model.
Ricky Martin and George Michael marketed themselves as heterosexual for so long. Their record labels ensured that this business model was adhered to. Eventually, they did come out but the backlash from female fans was substantial. That’s why they haven’t been able to repeat their success post-coming out.
Adam Lambert was briefly popular but, once he started talking and depicting his sexuality, his female fans dumped him.
oilburner
3 Doors Down
Are a joke
I can’t even remember the name of any of their songs
hyhybt
@Brian: I don’t know enough about George Michael to say, but Ricky Martin was long past his peak when he came out; if anything, it gave him a bump in popularity he otherwise wouldn’t have had. Adam Lambert’s just one of countless performers who was briefly popular, with no evidence he’d have been a more lasting star if he acted straighter.
balehead
They making changes….stop with all the terrorism already..
mjcc1987
@Goforit: I don’t believe all or nothing approach is the right or successful. I don’t think 3 doors down is a bad band but I only liked 3 songs way back. The Boy Scouts of America has made a giant leap and soon, even the bar on adult LGBT will disappear. The fall of DOMA section 3 and Prop 8 (for CA only) are unbelievable progress and by themselves should not be diminished. Same goes for the Scouts. We continue to fight, but this time, the wind is at our back.
hyhybt
@balehead: What terrorism?
Jackhoffsky
@Goforit: It’s called “survival of the fittest.” It works with most forms of evolution including social. Collectively we would like to assign more importance to the reason for changes, but the simple truth is that without adaptation, they cannot survive… whatever the motivation of that adaptation might be.
They are adapting (for whatever reason). It’s slow… and it might prove to be too slow, we don’t know that yet. But every leap forward should at least be acknowledged. I don’t think they should be applauded or praised, but they certainly don’t need to be demonized either.
Horse Lips
Who?
Andy
@Horse Lips: I know! My first thought was “they’re still a band?”
Roanoax
Wow, very poorly researched article, has very little correct information about the Jamboree and Scouts in general. As a gay youth that was in attendance, the atmosphere was very inviting. And FYI, 3 Doors Down’s song Love Me STILL pops up on the top charts, including once this year; not bad for a band that hasn’t been “big” for ten years or so.