“I do not want one more mother or father to have to look their child in the eyes and tell them that their parents aren’t good enough – or are different. The Boy Scouts of America can do better than that,” she continued.
Tyrrell was a den leader of her son’s scout pack before she was asked to leave the post over her sexual orientation.
She was joined today by Greg Bourke, a gay dad who was forced to resign his position of assistant scoutmaster; Eric Andresen, the father of an 18-year-old gay Boy Scout who was barred from receiving his Eagle Award; and Will Oliver, a 20-year-old gay Eagle Scout, according to petition website Change.org.
The Boy Scouts of America announced in January that it was examining whether or not to change its policy regardingly openly gay scouts and leaders. A change in the organization’s membership could come sometime this month, the organization said.
“For more than 100 years, Scouting’s focus has been on working together to deliver the nation’s foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training,” said Deron Smith, director of public relations for BSA late last month. “Scouting has always been in an ongoing dialogue with the Scouting family to determine what is in the best interest of the organization and the young people we serve.”
Top photo: Jennifer Tyrrell (left) created a petition on Change.org to call attention to her removal from the Boy Scouts over her sexual orientation (via Change.org)