An internet campaign a petition has been started in the hopes to convince California’s Golden Empire Council to reinstate 22 year-old Eagle Scout Tim Griffin and to reject the Boy Scouts of America’s policy barring gay, lesbian, bisexual scouts and scout leaders.
Mr Griffin, who was the longest-serving employee at Camp Winton, says that he was fired from the scout camp because of his sexuality. The campaign was begun by Alex Hayes, Camp Winton’s programme director. Mr Hayes, along with nine other employees of the camp, resigned in protest following Mr Griffin’s dismissal. He said: “For the past eight summers, Tim was loved not only by his fellow camp staffers, but all of the Boy Scouts who participated in programs he ran at the camp.
“More than 60,000 people have joined me, and the nine other employees who resigned, in taking a stand for Tim. We want the Golden Empire Council to know that the Boy Scouts of America’s discriminatory policy has no place in our Scouting community.”
The Golden Empire Council said in a statement that Mr Griffin’s firing was “due to an issue with performance, violation of expected camp behaviour and camp standards.”
My Hayes stated “The Golden Empire Council claims he was fired because he violated the camp’s dress code, but as his direct supervisor at Camp Winton, I know this isn’t true. He was fired because of his sexual orientation. If the Golden Empire Council truly stands by its statement, and Tim wasn’t fired because he’s gay, then the council should have no problem rejecting the Boy Scouts of America’s discriminatory ban on gay scouts and leaders.”
Even President Obama, the honorary president of the Boy Scouts of America, has publicly opposed the body’s anti-gay policy. The 81,000 plus signature petition due to be handed in this week.
