"To be physically strong, mentally
awake and morally straight"this is the Boy Scout pledge.
Since 1910, millions of boys have joined. But today, if
you are openly gay, you can't. Witness how a 12-year-old
Boy Scout named Steven Cozza launches a campaign to overturn
the Boy Scouts' anti-gay policy. From Petaluma, California
to the Supreme Court, the film chronicles a modern interpretation
of the Scouting ideals of courage and honor.Winner of the
Audience Award for Best Documentary and the Freedom of Expression
Award at the Sundance Film Festival 2001.
Steven Cozza, an enthusiastic and devoted
Scout, was so upset by the Boy
Scouts of America's (BSA's) exclusion of gays that
he began a small petition drive to overturn the policy
in his hometown of Petaluma, California. Out of this experience,
he co-founded Scouting
For All, a now international organization dedicated
to advocating access to the BSA for gays. At the time,
Steven was 12 years old.
He partnered with ex-Scoutmaster Dave
Rice, 70; together, these Scouts from opposite ends of
the generational spectrum worked to raise public awareness
of the BSA's policy. They quickly found they weren't entirely
alone in their beliefsmany people across the country
agreed that the Scouts shouldn't discriminate against
gays. Scouting for All had touched
a nerve, and in communities around the country, their
organizing met with emotional responses from supporters
and detractors alike.
Tim Curran, the Eagle Scout who acknowledges
he was "the first to find out you couldn't be gay in Scouting"
(he was expelled when his sexuality was revealed), had
been raising awareness of the BSA policy since 1980. James
Dale, another expelled Eagle Scout, took the BSA to court
in 1999 and won in the State of New Jersey. The U.S.
Supreme Court then overturned the decision by a five
to four vote, stating that the BSA is a private organization
that can maintain whatever membership requirements it
desires.
While some in Steven's community supported
his gay rights campaign, other community membersincluding
neighbors and peersdid not, and Steven, Dave and others
were ostracized and even threatened for challenging the
BSA's membership policy. Scott Cozza, Steven's father,
was removed from his position as Scout Leader and Dave
Rice was expelled from the BSA.
Despite his objections to the BSA's exclusion
of gays, Steven continues to uphold Scouting ideals "to
help other people at all times" and to be "mentally awake,
and morally straight." Now a high school freshman, he's
earned his Eagle rank, and continues to believe that Scouting
should be open to all.