Queertyâs Evan Mulvihill met with Jen Tyrell today, the lesbian mother of 5 who was ousted as den leader of her sonâs Boy Scout troop. As she goes on a media tour in New York City (just today, she met with CNN, the Daily News, and the New York Times), sheâs now effectively been excommunicated by the Boy Scouts, with the organization saying in an email to GLAAD that they do not want to meet with her and that the policy will stay as-is.
The Boys Scouts of Americaâs public-relations director gave this statement to CNN:
âOur focus is on delivering the nationâs foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. Our mission does not include teaching young people about sex or sexual orientation, and we do not believe it is Scoutingâs role to introduce this topic in our youth development program.â
We spoke with Jen in the GLAAD offices about how far she wants to wage her campaign, what her 7-year-old son Cruzâs reaction was, and whether sheâs like to sick the more tolerant Girl Scouts on the Boy Scoutsâ butts. Tyrellâs Change.org petition currently has over 140,000 signatures.
Off camera, we got to hang out with her and Cruz (together in photo above with fellow viral activist Zach Wahls), who was engaged in what she described as âtypical boy behavior,â making toys attack one another on the top of a desk.
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Jen told us about her special appearance at the GLAAD Awards in L.A., and showed us pictures of her with celebrity allies Josh Hutcherson and Milla Jovovich. âMilla said my speech made her cry, and thanked me for coming and sharing my story,â said Jen.
She also relayed how Betty White had wanted to play paddy cake with her sons Jude and Cruz. âJude refused, but Cruz is a ladyâs man, so he said okay.â
Too cute, no? And doesnât that sound like the story of a typical Ohio family charmed by a dose of Hollywood glitz and glamor? Traditional family values!
Josh
If they really don’t want sexuality to have any place in scouting, then the rule should be that all adult leaders need to be unmarried and celibate. I’m pretty sure that’s never been a problem before for organizations whose moral standard was too high to include the gays.
And also…I thought the whole deal was because gays are predators and we can’t trust them around young boys…why do they care if a lesbian is around the boys? Shouldn’t that be totally kosher?
Belize
*Rakes away the leaves and twigs that Samo and JayKay might trip on in a desperate attempt to deliver their daily dose of chauvinistic gospel.
There you go, boys. I love you.
jason
Jen Tyrell is my kind of gal. More power to her. You keep going, lady.
Hyhybt
Wouldn’t it be nice if they gave a *relevant* answer, since, presumably, she wasn’t teaching them about sex at den meetings?
kelly
This is truly disgusting! Our children need positive role models from all walks of life; they don’t need to be taught how to be bigots. Why is it still acceptable to discriminate someone because of his/her sexuality in this country?
Hyhybt
@kelly: The good news is that the spheres where that’s acceptable are shrinking and those where it’s not are growing đ
The bad news, of course, is that it can’t happen fast enough.
Alexi3
“our mission does not include teaching scouts about sex or sexual orientation”. I know many former scouts who would disagree.
Bob
@vkfdsa8: Why wasn’t this flagged?
Macmantoo
Personally I won’t buy Boy Scout stuff in front of stores, I just tell them I don’t support bigoted organization and for them to have mommy and daddy explain it to them.
Macmantoo
@Josh: Probably because they think a lesbian will turn them into lesbians. Who knows how these backward people think.
jason
Jen Tyrell is fantastic. You go, girl. You’ve got a ton of support out here in cyberspace. If there is anything we can do, let us know.