(WASHINGTON,
D.C., February 28, 2000) --- Gays
and Lesbians for Individual Liberty (GLIL) today filed an amicus curiae ("friend
of the court") brief with the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that the Boy
Scouts of America have a constitutional right to set their own standards for
membership and leadership positions, even if that means the Boy Scouts may
exclude openly gay Scout leaders from participation in the organization.
The brief was filed in the case of Boy Scouts of America v. James Dale, which
was appealed to the nations highest court after the New Jersey Supreme Court
ruled last August that the Boy Scouts may not exclude gay men from leadership
positions.
"Our brief emphasizes our disagreement with the Boy Scouts policy of
excluding gay members and leaders," said Richard Sincere, president of
GLIL and a former Boy Scout. "But if government forces the Boy Scouts
to change that policy, the constitutional rights of all of us -- not just
the Scouts, but everyone, gay or straight -- will be diminished. Freedom does
not belong only to those with whom we agree. Gay men and lesbians have suffered
when freedom of association has not been respected. We benefit when freedom
of speech and freedom of association are vigorously protected. A Supreme Court
ruling against the Boy Scouts will have the perverse effect of hurting gay
and lesbian Americans."
GLIL's brief before the Supreme Court was prepared by the Institute for Justice,
a Washington, D.C.-based public-interest law firm. Attorneys from the Institute
for Justice are available for media interviews to discuss GLIL's point of
view and reasoning in the case. Please call John Kramer of the Institute for
Justice at 202-955-1300 for more information.
A summary of GLIL's brief is attached to this news release. The full text
of the brief will soon be available on-line at http://www.gayliberty.org.
For further information or to arrange interviews with GLIL members about the
amicus brief, please telephone Richard Sincere at 202-903-5555 or 804-245-8426.
(one-page
attachment of summary follows)
Gays and Lesbians for Individual Liberty was founded in February 1991 to advance the ideas of economic and personal freedom and individual responsibility. It has members across the United States and in several foreign countries. For more information, visit http://www.glil.org or telephone 202-903-5555.
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