"He was the kind of boy that just about any mother would pray that her son would grow up to be," says one interviewee of Tim Curran, who in 1981 became the first Boy Scout in history to go to court after he was ousted for being gay. Although the case would ultimately be heard before the Supreme Court in 1998, Curran lost, in large part because the Boy Scouts are a privately owned and operated group believed to fall outside the jurisdiction of government legislation. The stories of Curran's case, a more recent one involving an exemplary scout named James Dale, the dismissal of a scoutmaster who led the "Scouting For All" campaign against the Boy Scouts' discriminatory policies, and the relentless fight of one 12-year-old heterosexual Boy Scout named Steven Cozza for an inclusive organization, are nicely woven together in Tom Shepard's Sundance award-winning, P.O.V. aired, Scout's Honor. Particularly inspiring is Cozza's unflagging determination--in the face of death threats, obscene phone calls, and vile email letters--to continue collecting signatures on petitions, marching in parades, and speaking out against discrimination toward gays. As we watch Steve Cozza's Eagle Scout promotion ceremony near film's end, viewers cannot help but be impressed all over again by the power of one to fan the flames of progressive social change. An engaging look at a divisive issue, this is highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (R. Pitman)
Scout's Honor
(2001) 58 min. $95: high schools & public libraries; $275: colleges & universities. Scout's Honor Documentary Film Project (dist. by New Day Films). PPR. Color cover. Volume 17, Issue 1
Scout's Honor
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