My heart is breaking for my son, for the LGBTQ community and as a parent and Ally. BSA Troop 601 has ignored NATIONAL POLICIES. Starting with refusing to admit a transgender boy on June 16, 2023. “HE…. is a GIRL, NOT a boy. And should be… in a GIRL Troop” quote by [REDACTED].

According to BSA policy, BSA will accept registration in their Scouting programs based on the gender identity provided on an individual's application. This also includes transgender girls in any of their female programs. This policy became effective in 2017 and remains effective today. 

Then again Troop 601 continued to fail yet another LGBTQ youth. On the weekend of October 13-15, 2023, at BearPaw (camp) my openly Bi 15-year-old scout experienced harassment by several scouts from his own troop. Including entering his tent uninvited & calling him F slurs continuously as well as other curse words. 

My son has been in scouts since first grade & been with Troop 601 for the past 5 years or so. During Covid he continued to help his community and eventually earned the rank of First Class. What was supposed to be an enjoyable weekend camping trip resulted with hatred, disrespect and humiliation by 2 fellow scouts. None of which Scouting represents. This is NOT the first time. This is only an escalated version of previous problems. These issues seem to have been ignored. 

This discrimination and bullying issues were brought up BY ME on Oct 15, 2023, via text with the Scout Master & again October 22, 2023, verbally in a meeting with the scoutmaster, the Assistant Scoutmaster, Committee chair & the Advancement Chair seated in meeting. The leaders of Troop 601 never addressed these particular issues with the scouts involved. The mother of the scout who entered my son's tent and whom is the committee chair leader treated it as goofing off. [REDACTED] should NEVER have been allowed to evaluate her OWN son. This discussion should have been a neutral party. 

The response was to remove my son on October 22, 2023, from the troop for telling off his bullies on October 14, 2023, at Bear Paw, STEMpede in Mountain, WI. As per BSA policy it is stated; Any negative behavior associated with race, religion, sexual identity or orientation, or disability needs to be reported immediately to the Council Scout Executive. I believe this was not done by any registered leaders of Troop 601. I did file an incident report with Bay Lakes Council; Twin Lakes district in October and as of November 21, 2023, have yet to hear from anyone. 

Troop 601 has ignored discrimination and bullying within their own troop towards youth. They have ignored National BSA Policy, Ignored the Scout Law and Scout Oath! 

We as a community NEED to protect our future generations. We demand that BSA Troop 601 be investigated on a national level into their policies as an individual troop. Scouts involved need to be dismissed or reprimanded. Any leaders that refuse to acknowledge the discrimination and choose to protect ONLY their own scouts and not hold them accountable at the same level as the rest of the troop also, need to be removed. [REDACTED], the committee chair needs to be removed as a leader for this reason. The LGBTQ community WILL be HEARD and WILL take action. 

SOURCES: bullyingpreventionguide.pdf (scouting.org)

Boy Scouts will allow transgender children into programs | AP News

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Boy Scouts Will Allow Transgender Children to Enroll in Boys-Only Programs | Smart News| Smithsonian Magazine