TV icon and former Boy Scout George Takei joined Jennifer Tyrrell -- the Ohio mom ousted as leader of her son's Boy Scouts troop because she's gay -- as well as GLAAD and local scouts at the 43rd Annual NYC Pride March earlier today in Manhattan.

Crowds went wild for the former USS Enterprise helmsman, who helped take a stand against the Boy Scouts' long history of discrimination against gay scouts and LGBT leaders.

“Some of my best memories from my boyhood are of my scouting days,” Takei told GLAAD. “I played bass bugle in our troop’s drum and bugle corps. We marched in Fourth of July parades. We learned teamwork and brotherhood from camping together. The Boy Scouts built my character. As an adult, I was shocked and deeply disappointed to learn that the Scouts discriminate against LGBT people. This is contrary to the ideals of equality and fair play that I hold dear. The Boy Scouts must change.”

To date, nearly 300,000 Americans have signed Jennifer's Change.org petition calling on the Boy Scouts of America to end its anti-gay bans.

Local Boy Scouts, including an 85-year-old former Eagle Scout -- ousted in the early 90s because he's gay -- were also on hand, as well as over 100 volunteers wearing equality tees from American Apparel's new LGBT Pride line, created in partnership with GLAAD. Just this month, the retail giant featured its first-ever transgender model, Isis King.

Check out pictures below from GLAAD at #NYCPride with Takei and Tyrrell, and share photos on Facebook.

George Takei with JC Penney Father's Day dads Cooper Smith Koch and Todd Koch.