Scout Lawsuit

In this rather murky photo (you should see the original) from 1980, my mom and I stand proudly, as we prepare to head off for my Eagle Scout ceremony. Note that my uniform has no rank patch on the left pocket. That's where the Eagle badge will go.

Little did we know that only a few months later, the troop would be forced to excommunicate me after the local Mount Diablo Council found out I was gay. My own troop leaders had known for some time, and had continued to accept my leadership as an Assistant Scoutmaster.

I was shocked when the letter from the Council arrived at my UCLA dorm room. But it didn't take too long before I got mad. I called the ACLU of Southern California, and they agreed to take the case.

History
Some day, I plan to write a complete history of my fight against discrimination in the Boy Scouts of America. But since it covers almost 20 years of my life, that's a long-term project. In the meantime, here's an outline of the twists and turns in the legal story, from the our initial filing in the California Supreme Court.

Media
On March 23, 1998, the California Supreme Court finally handed down its long-awaited decision in my case, ruling in favor of the Boy Scouts. The national press had a field day, and here's the way they reported the story. 

Briefs
Between 1981 and 1998, entire forests fell to make paper for all the legal documents generated by my suit (not to mention all the news stories written). Here are the briefs written by both sides for the California Supreme Court, and the text of the court's final decision.

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