Take action: Write a Letter to the Editor in support of inclusive Scouting

In May 2013, 1400 members of the Boy Scouts' National Council will converge in Dallas to decide whether or not to end the Scouts' ban on gay youth.

Help bring equality to the Boy Scouts by submitting a Letter to the Editor to your local paper today.

Now, more than ever, your community needs to hear from you about why gay youth and parents should be able to participate in the Boy Scouts. The voting members of the Boy Scouts National Council are your neighbors, and how they vote depends on the feedback of their community.

Use the guide and template below to lend your voice in support of Scouting for all. Then, send us your letter to scouts@glaad.org.

Letter to the Editor template:

Submit the letter below to your local paper or use GLAAD's Letter to the Editor Guide to write your own. If you're an Eagle Scout, use the Scouts for Equality Letter to the Editor template here.

Dear Editor,

For over a century, the Boy Scouts of America has helped shape the characters of countless young men, empowering our nation's youth and cultivating future leaders.

Now, the Boy Scouts stand at an important crossroads as the organization prepares to vote on whether it should allow gay Scouts to participate.

[Include a personal story about being LGBT or an LGBT ally in your community and why you care about lifting the ban on gay Scouts and gay parents as volunteers in Scouting. Such as: "While I am not a Scout, I have friends and family whose children are involved in Scouting, but because they care about me, they no longer want their child to participate in an organization that would ban me simply because of who I am."]

To deny a young man the opportunity to enjoy the rich benefits of Scouting, or to deny a parent the chance to participate in their child's life through Scouting, simply because they are gay, is wrong. Scouting teaches our children about bravery, honesty, and upstanding citizenship – values that leave no room for discrimination.

As members of the Boy Scouts National Council meet in Dallas this month to vote on inclusion, they would do well to remember that Scouting is a program that fosters leadership, and unless the Boy Scouts move to accept all members – gay or straight – the organization will be left behind a growing majority who already support equality for everyone.

[Your name]
[Your city, state]

Find newspaper contact information at: http://www.usnpl.com

Submitting a Letter to the Editor? Share it with us at scouts@glaad.org

Letter to the Editor Guide:

Submitting a Letter to the Editor is easy and allows you to reach a wide audience with an impactful message. To write and submit your Letter to the Editor, follow the tips below.

  • Pick a target. Find a newspaper or print publication in your area and check to see if they accept Letters to the Editor. Most outlets provide instructions on their website.
  • Know the word limit. Generally, Letters to the Editor are very short and limited to 100-150 words. Word limits are usually listed on the outlet's website.
  • Get to the point. If you write your own Letter to the Editor, state your position in the first few sentences and explain why the Boy Scouts should end its ban on gay Scouts. If you have personal connection to the Boy Scouts, say so. If you are a person of faith, name your denomination or tradition.
  • Sign your name. An outlet will almost never run a Letter to the Editor from an anonymous source.

Find newspaper contact information at: http://www.usnpl.com

Submitting a Letter to the Editor? Share it with us at scouts@glaad.org