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Ousted Scout Mom Joins Ohio Same-Sex Marriage Effort

The Associated Press — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 19:21:39 +0000

An eastern Ohio woman ousted as a Cub Scout den leader because she is a lesbian has joined the effort to overturn the state’s ban on same-sex marriage.

Leaders of pro-gay-marriage group FreedomOhio said Jennifer Tyrrell will help with its outreach efforts.

Tyrrell, who lives in Bridgeport, was removed as den leader last April. She says she knows the feeling of having rights denied.

FreedomOhio wants to overturn the 2004 state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. Supporters started collecting signatures last year to place their own constitutional amendment on the ballot either later this year or in 2014.

The measure wouldn’t require churches and other religious institutions to perform or recognize gay marriages.

The amendment banning gay marriage was supported by 62 percent of Ohio voters at the time.

Ousted Lesbian Den Mom Delivers Petition To Scouts

The Associated Press — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 17:22:52 +0000

An Ohio woman ousted as a den mother because she is a lesbian has delivered a petition with 300,000 signatures to the Boy Scouts of America headquarters urging the organization to reinstate her.

Jennifer Tyrrell also wants the group to abandon its policy of excluding gays, which the organization reaffirmed Tuesday.

Tyrrell wore a tan Scout uniform as she arrived Wednesday at the Boy Scouts national offices in Irving with her partner and two children, including a 7-year-old Cub Scout.

Tyrrell, who was carrying three boxes filled with the petitions, then went into a private meeting with representatives of the 102-year-old organization. Tyrrell presented the same petitions to the organization at its annual convention in Orlando, Fla., in May.

Scout Official Resigns, Supports Ousted Gay Leader

The Associated Press — Tue, 01 May 2012 14:26:31 +0000

BRIDGEPORT, Ohio (AP) – A board member for a regional Boy Scouts group in eastern Ohio has resigned in protest over the removal of a lesbian den mother because of the group’s ban on gays.

Parents in Bridgeport have rallied behind Jennifer Tyrrell, saying she was a great leader and they want her back.

David Sims of the Ohio River Valley Council tells the Los Angeles Times he resigned from the council’s board Friday after learning Tyrrell’s story.

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation released the text of Sims’ resignation letter, which says he understands Tyrrell’s removal is legal but opposes it because he believes it is discrimination.

The Scouts say that as a private organization they have a right to exclude gays. The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld the ban.