MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA — More than 3,500 people have joined a popular new campaign on Change.org urging Intel Corporation, one of the Boy Scouts of America's largest corporate donors, to stop funding the Boy Scouts until the organization removes its ban on gay youth and leaders.
Eagle Scout Zach Wahls, founder of Scouts for Equality, launched the campaign on Change.org after an American Independent report revealed that Intel gave nearly $700,000 to the Boy Scouts in 2010, despite the organization's anti-gay policy. Intel Corporation has a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index and has an explicit policy of not donating to groups that discriminate.
"As an Eagle Scout representing an organization of 1,500 Eagles strong, I applaud Intel's support for the Boy Scouts of America as a vital American institution critical in the development of our nation's future leaders," said Scouts for Equality founder Zach Wahls, who launched the campaign on Change.org . "But in July of this year, the Boy Scouts of America reaffirmed their discriminatory policy barring gay Scouts and leaders, thus forfeiting their eligibility for funds from fair-minded, socially-responsible corporations."
"Until the Boy Scouts of America removes this hurtful policy that is inconsistent with its own principles, they do not deserve the financial backing of companies that strive for workplace equality — especially innovators like Intel," added Wahls.
On his petition, Wahls points out that donating to the Boy Scouts is in direct conflict with Intel Foundation's own funding criteria, which stipulates that Intel will not fund "organizations that discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, veteran or disability status." Intel's own Director of Diversity, Rosalind Hudnell, has said, "Driving diversity isn't rocket science. It's harder. We are trying to do inside of our walls what society is still trying to do outside of our walls."
Wahls, an Eagle Scout and son of two gay moms whose 2011 video in support of marriage equality became a viral sensation, launched Scouts for Equality after delivering nearly 300,000 petition signatures to the Boy Scouts of America on behalf of Jennifer Tyrrell, a lesbian mom and den leader from Ohio who was removed from her 7-year-old's Cub Scout Pack for being gay. Together, Wahls and Tyrrell have led Change.org petition campaigns attracting more than 400,000 signatures in support of ending the Boy Scouts' ban on gay Scouts and leaders.
Last month, President Obama, who serves as honorary president of the Boy Scouts of America, publicly opposed the Boy Scouts of America's anti-gay policy, and joined presidential candidate Mitt Romney in supporting gay Americans participating in the Boy Scouts.
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), which initially broke the story of Jennifer Tyrrell's removal from her son's Cub Scout pack, joined Wahls and Scouts for Equality in urging corporations to pull funding from the Boy Scouts while their anti-gay policy remains intact.
"The Boy Scouts of America have helped so many youth over the years, yet the organization tells gay scouts that they are not welcome because of who they are and hurts children of gay parents by unfairly banning their parents from the organization," said GLAAD President Herndon Graddick. "It's only a matter of time before the BSA follows other national youth organizations like the Girl Scouts of the USA, 4-H Club and Boys & Girls Club by ending discrimination against gay people, but until then, the BSA's financial sponsors should tell the BSA that they do not support their hurtful and unfair policy."
Journalists interested in setting up an interview Zach Wahls should use the contact details at the top of the page.
Live signature totals from Zach Wahls' campaign:
http://www.change.org/petitions/intel-corporation-pull-your-financial-support-until-the-boy-scouts-pull-their-anti-gay-policy.
American Independent report on Boy Scouts' corporate donors:
http://americanindependent.com/217335/corporations-giving-big-money-to-boy-scouts-despite-anti-gay-policy.
For more information on Scouts for Equality, please visit:
www.scoutsforequality.org .
Since 1991, the Boy Scouts of America has barred openly gay individuals from participating in its program at any level. Scouts for Equality will lead a respectful, honest dialogue with current and former Scouts and Scout Leaders about ending this outdated policy. By embodying the values of the Scout Oath and Law, we believe we can restore the social relevancy of one of this country's great cultural institutions: the Boy Scouts of America.
For more information on Change.org, please visit:
http://www.change.org/about.
Change.org is the world's fastest-growing platform for social change — growing by nearly two million new members a month, and empowering millions of people to start, join, and win campaigns for social change in their community, city and country.
