Carly Rae Jepsen has joined rock band Train in cancelling on the Boy Scouts, according to a report at USA Today. Both acts were scheduled to perform at the organization’s National Jamboree this summer. The Boy Scouts of America has recently come under fire for their anti-gay policies.
Carly Rae tweeted, "As an artist who believes in equality for all people, I will not be participating in the Boy Scouts of America Jamboree this summer."
Current Boy Scout policy prohibits any gay or lesbian adult from being a leader within the organization. The rules also ban any gay boy from joining the Boy Scouts. The group began as a non-denominational service organization, but in recent years has largely been taken over by the LDS Church. One direct consequence of the Mormon's involvement has been the Scout’s recent bans on both homosexuals and atheists.
The organization’s choice to discriminate based on sexual orientation has put them in a tricky spot financially. Many local troops use public facilities to hold their meetings, but many states now have laws preventing any discriminatory organization from utilizing public resources. UPS and other major corporate sponsors have also cut off their support of the Boy Scouts.
The Boy Scouts of America have not issued any comments on these cancellations.
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