Scouting for All
| Formation | 1993 |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Advocacy |
| Howard Menzer | |
Main organ | Board of Directors |
| Website | www |
Scouting for All is an American advocacy organization. It is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose stated purpose is to promote tolerance and diversity within the Boy Scouts of America in the face of its policies requiring members to be heterosexuals who believe in God.
History
Initially founded in 1993 by Scouter Dave Rice and a committee including Mike Cahn, Bob Smith, Ken McPherson and Don Henry, Scouting for All was relatively inactive for its first few years.
In 1997, the effort was galvanized by a letter to the editor[which?] written by Steven Cozza, who later went on to earn the rank of Eagle Scout and became a professional bicycle racer. The heterosexual young man criticized the BSA's policies and pointed out potential contradictions between those policies and the organization's own governing Scout Oath and Scout Law. He called upon the organization to reexamine its policies and invited others in the organization who agreed with him to contact him so they could all work together to effect the desired policy changes. According to the organization's current literature, Dave Rice, Steven Cozza and Steven's father, Scott Cozza are considered the co-founders of the reinvigorated Scouting for All.
Scouting for All Rainbow Knot
The Rainbow Knot may be worn by anyone who wishes to express solidarity with Scouting For All's cause.[1] It is an embroidered cloth patch that resembles the BSA's square knot insignia and is intended for wear above the left pocket of the uniform shirt, but is not an official emblem of the BSA. The emblem incorporates the blue and silver of the religious emblems knot, the red and blue of the Eagle Scout knot and the colors of the Rainbow flag.
The knot was first used by the now-defunct Coalition for Inclusive Scouting as the Inclusive Scouting Award, then later used by the now-defunct ScoutPride.
See also
References
- ^ "Scouting for All Store". Retrieved July 28, 2010.
External links
- Religious Tolerance's Page on the BSA
- Volokh, Eugene Freedom of Expressive Association and Government Subsidies. Stanford Law Review (UCLA) 58: 1919–1968.