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Reactions to Ban on Gay Scouts and Leaders

902 views · Published 14 June 2012 · 2:56 · Indexed 23 October 2026

Channel: WTVC NewsChannel 9 · 2012 · News & Politics

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By Jerry Askin

It's a controversial debate within the Boy Scouts of America - The ban on gay and lesbian members. And in an area like the Tennessee Valley where scouting is so popular, the outcome could have a major impact here.The issue made waves across the country-- after openly gay mother Jennifer Tyrrell-- was ousted from her position as a Cub Scout Den Leader. The Scouts have now announced they will consider changing their policy - and allowing individual units to determine their own rules concerning gay and lesbian leaders.Joshua Solomon became an Eagle Scout 5 years ago by way of Troop 30 right here in Chattanooga. In fact, his older brother, father and grandfather are all Eagle Scouts."Be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent," says Solomon.That's all Joshua says is needed to be a good Eagle Scout. He says sexual orientation is irrelevant."I believe a person's sexual orientation has nothing to do with being a good mentor or role model for a young child," says Solomon.The national conversation began when lesbian Jennifer Tyrrell was forced to resign because she was openly gay.She was her 7-year old son's den leader in Bridgeport, Ohio."My biggest concern is that the children will think I abandoned them because they don't understand," says den leader Tyrrell."They may have banned it because they think it was a sin, but if you got rid of all sinners out of scouts, then you'd get rid of all the scouts, because nobody's perfect," says Lee Solomon.Lee Solomon has been an Eagle Scout for more than 40 years. He's a former scout leader of Troop 30 at Brainerd United Methodist Church."I think they thought it was a way of getting rid of pedophiles, but the reality is, pedophiles don't have to be gay  - and gay people are usually not pedophiles," says Solomon.The conversation was a huge t

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