Media Advisory for Monday February 4, 2013 CONTACTS: Shareeza Bhola, Communications Manager, Change.

org, (202) 684 2552, press@change.org ***MEDIA ADVISORY*** GAY SCOUTS AND LEADERS TO DELIVER 1.4 MILLION SIGNATURES URGING END OF BOY SCOUTS GAY BAN
Former gay den leader Jennifer Tyrrell, gay Eagle Scout Will Oliver, gay former Scoutmaster Greg Bourke, and Eric Andresen, father of a gay Scout denied his Eagle Award, will deliver 1.4 million signatures from their combined Change.org petitions; Signatures to be delivered to the Boy Scouts of Americas national office in Irving, Texas, as the organizations board considers an end to the national ban on gay Scouts and leaders

DALLAS, TX As the national leaders of the Boy Scouts of America gather for an historic meeting to discuss an end to the organizations national ban on gay Scouts and leaders, four Scout leaders whose petitions on Change.org sparked a national movement to end the Scouts anti-gay policy will all travel to Dallas to deliver 1.4 million signatures from their combined Change.org petitions. When: Monday, February 4, 11:00am CT Where: Boy Scouts of Americas National Headquarters, 1325 West Walnut Hill Lane, Irving, Texas 75015 Who: Jennifer Tyrrell, an Ohio mom who was ousted as den leader of her 7year-old sons Cub Scout pack for being gay; Will Oliver, a gay Eagle Scout; Greg Bourke, who was removed as den leader of his sons Boy Scout troop because hes gay; and Eric Andresen, father of a gay Boy Scout in California who was denied his Eagle Award because hes gay. All four will read short statements at the petition delivery, and take questions from reporters. Last Monday, the Boy Scouts of America announced that their Board of Directors would consider a proposal that would allow local Scout councils to determine whether to accept gay Scouts and gay leaders, a move that would essentially end the national ban on gay members and leave decisions about inclusion up to local units. Tyrrell ignited a national movement last year after she was let go as Den Leader of her son's Cub Scout pack because she is gay. Working with the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), she started a Change.org petition demanding that she be reinstated, garnering more than 330,000 signatures. She led a second Change.org campaign asking the CEOs of Ernst & Young and AT&T, both of whom sit on the board of the Boy Scouts of America, to speak out against the

organizations ban on gay Scouts and leaders. Andresen will present Change.org petition signatures on behalf of his son, Ryan, who in October 2012 was told that he could not receive his Eagle Scout award because of his sexual orientation. Ryans story became a national phenomenon, and he appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show with his mother, Karen, to speak out against the Boy Scouts ban on gay Scouts and leaders. Bourke, who will travel to Dallas with his partner and their two children, will present signatures from his Change.org petition, which he started after he was removed as the Assistant Scoutmaster for the Lincoln Heritage Council in Louisville, Kentucky, because of his sexual orientation. Will Oliver, a 20-year-old gay Eagle Scout, will present signatures from his Change.org petition, which earlier this year called on the National Geographic Channel to speak out against the Boy Scouts of Americas anti-gay policy. The channel is slated to air Are You Tougher Than a Boy Scout? this spring in partnership with the Boy Scouts of America. These petitions, plus more than 50 others that have been started on Change.org urging the Boy Scouts to end their national ban on gay Scouts and leaders, total more than 1.4 million signatures. More than 1 million people have joined Change.org campaigns urging the Boy Scouts of America to end their national anti-gay policy, and today, those signers are seeing their work and their support delivered right to the Boy Scouts of America, for one final push as the Boy Scout board determines the future of the organization," said Mark Anthony Dingbaum, senior campaign manager at Change.org. Jennifer Tyrrell, Will Oliver, Greg Bourke, and the Andresen family have proven that longstanding institutions of discrimination are no match for cutting-edge online tools and powerful storytelling." "Millions have been moved to speak out in favor of ending the anti-gay ban from across religions, race, and political backgrounds including current scouts and corporate sponsors," said GLAAD President Herndon Graddick. "While an end to the ban will strengthen scouting and stop the harm it caused to so many young gay people, the campaign for change will continue until the national policy is one where every young gay person is allowed to participate." "This is an historic day for Scouting," said Zach Wahls, Eagle Scout and founder of Scouts for Equality. "We will continue to work with the BSA to implement further nondiscrimination measures and bring them into line with the giving requirements for their corporate donors. We all want a healthy, vibrant Scouting movement that can foster lifelong values and principles in our next generation of leaders--with malice toward none, with charity for all."

Journalists interested in setting up an interview with Jennifer Tyrrell, Eric Andresen, Greg Bourke, or Will Oliver should use the contact information at the top of the page. Wahls, who founded Scouts for Equality after launching his own Change.org petition calling for the Boy Scouts Board of Directors to vote on ending the anti-gay ban, is available in New York City to speak with journalists interested in covering the Boy Scouts historic vote. Live signature totals from Change.org petitions targeting the Boy Scouts of America: http://www.change.org/boyscouts Journalists interested in contacting Boy Scouts of America leadership should try: Deron Smith Public Relations, Boy Scouts of America Deron.Smith@scouting.org (972) 580-7848 For more information on Change.org, please visit: http://www.change.org/about Change.org is the world's largest petition platform, empowering people everywhere to create the change they want to see. There are more than 20 million users in 196 countries who use our tools to transform their communities locally, nationally and globally. For more information on GLAAD, please visit: http://www.glaad.org The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) amplifies the voice of the LGBT community by empowering real people to share their stories, holding the media accountable for the words and images they present, and helping grassroots organizations communicate effectively. By ensuring that the stories of LGBT people are heard through the media, GLAAD promotes understanding, increases acceptance, and advances equality. For more information, please visit http://glaad.org or connect with GLAAD at http://glaad.org/connect.

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