Wednesday, March 6, 2013
As an artist who believes in equality for all people, I will not be participating in the Boy Scouts of America Jamboree this summer...
— Carly Rae Jepsen (@carlyraejepsen) March 5, 2013
I always have and will continue to support the LGBT community on a global level ...
— Carly Rae Jepsen (@carlyraejepsen) March 5, 2013
and stay informed on the ever-changing landscape in the ongoing battle for gay rights in this country and across the globe.
— Carly Rae Jepsen (@carlyraejepsen) March 5, 2013
The urge for these two acts to pull out of the Jamboree, which will take place in West Virginia on July 15-24, was a result of a petition started by Eagle Scout Derek Nance on Change.org.
"After serving 10 years as a Boy Scout camp leader, I decided I couldn't lie about who I was any longer and came out as gay. Now, because of the Boy Scouts of America's hurtful anti-gay policy I'm no longer allowed to be part of an organization that has been an instrumental part of my life," said Nance in the petition.
The petition was put online Thursday night, and by Friday, Train had announced on their website that after they saw it, they decided to pull out of the Jamboree unless the Scouts change their stance on the ban.
"When we booked this show for the Boy Scouts of America we were not aware of any policy barring openly gay people from participation within the organization," the band said. "Train strongly opposes any kind of policy that questions the equality of any American citizen. We have always seen the BSA as a great and noble organization. We look forward to participating in the Jamboree this summer, as long as they make the right decision before then."
As of Monday afternoon, Nance's petition has more than 65,000 supporters, allowing the artists to see that their fans care about this issue.
The Boy Scouts of America announced on Monday, Jan. 28 that they were considering lifting the gay ban that has been in place since 2000, when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the ban with a 5-4 vote. Then, on Wednesday, Feb. 6 they decided to postpone the decision on the ban until May, according to The New York Times.
As for now, though, the bands have decided to take a stand and step down from headlining the Jamboree. But who knows, they could be back if the ban is lifted in May.
Tags: Carly Rae Jepsen , Boy Scouts of America , Train , National Scout Jamboree , Derek Nance