A lesbian mother who was ousted as a American boy scout leader because of her sexual orientation has slapped down 1980s action star Chuck Norris after he claimed gay people have no place in the scouting movement.
Jennifer Tyrrell, the former leader of her son’s boy scouts troop in Bridgeport, Ohio, accused Norris of being out of touch
after he wrote a column that accused President Obama of encouraging attempts trying to impose a pro-gay
stance on the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) by stealth.
In a column for AmmoLand.com, a site dedicated to shooting-sports news, Norris, a well known gun-rights activist, suggested that the recent announcement by James Turley, a BSA national board member, that he will work to overturn a policy that bans gay scouts and gay scout leaders was an attempt to win favour with the Obama administration.
But the BSA’s rules have faced growing criticism in recent months after Tyrrell was removed form her post in April.
Scout chiefs decided her sexual orientation “did not meet the high standards” set by the group. Her son, Cruz, was subsequently asked to leave the organisation as well.
Tyrrell challenged Norris to meet with her family and supporters to debate the issue.
She said: Since I was ousted as a scout leader I have been flooded with support from local parents, scouts and hundreds of thousands of Americans. Chuck Norris is clearly out of touch and I’d like for him to sit down with my family and fellow scouting families who support us.
My orientation wasn’t an issue in my son’s pack until the Boy Scouts made parents tell their children why their favourite den leader was no longer able to participate. With the US military, the Girls Scouts of the USA, the 4-H Club and the Boys & Girls Club among organizations that allow gay Americans the time is now to end the ban
— via The Guardian
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