Doing the Work Behind the Scenes, with Justin Bickford

Inside the 'Morally Straight' Book, with Mike De Socio

In this episode of the Morally Straight Podcast, I turned over the hosting chair to Sam Aronson, a friend and leader of Scouting's recent LGBTQ+ programming at national events. * Sam interviewed me about my forthcoming book, "Morally Straight," which will be out June 4 and is now available for pre-order [https://bookshop.org/p/books/morally-straight-how-the-fight-for-lgbtq-inclusion-changed-the-boy-scouts-and-america-mike-de-socio/19866388?ean=9781639363858]. Why it matters: I spent more than 5 years bringing this book to life. I discovered so many things that surprised me, and found the history of LGBTQ+ inclusion in the BSA to be incredibly relevant to the state of LGBTQ+ rights today.

The Power of Petitions, with Greg Bourke

In this episode of the Morally Straight Podcast, I’m talking to Greg Bourke. He's a Scouter from Louisville who played an important role advocating for the inclusion of gay adults in the BSA. He’s also the author of the an excellent book, “⁠Gay, Catholic, and American: My Legal Battle for Marriage Equality and Inclusion,⁠” where he recounts both his activism in the BSA and historic role as one of the named plaintiffs in the landmark United States Supreme Court decision Obergefell vs. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage in 2015. In my conversation with Bourke, we talked about: * How Bourke served for years as a gay Scoutmaster in his son's pack and troop (sponsored by a Catholic Church) before the national policy debate reemerged in the 2010s * The impact of the petitions, started by Bourke and others, on BSA leadership's decisions to change policies in 2013 and 2015 * The moment when Bourke regained his Scouting membership, about a decade after he was kicked out

Doing the Work Behind the Scenes, with Justin Bickford

In this episode of the Morally Straight Podcast, I’m talking to Justin Bickford. Bickford is an Eagle Scout and Scouter from Florida who became an early and key volunteer with Scouts for Equality in 2012. Why it matters: Bickford poured countless hours into SFE during the early days. He helped the organization get off the ground and manage its communications, and was in the room when the BSA voted to its policy banning gay youth in 2013. In my conversation with Bickford, we talked about: * The incident in 2000 that spurred Bickford, as a college student, to care about LGBTQ+ inclusion in the BSA * How Bickford used Facebook comment threads to silence online trolls and anti-gay messaging * Why SFE's leaders were effective and relatable voices for change Read more and subscribe to the Morally Straight newsletter here [https://morally-straight.ghost.io/]. Pre-order the Morally Straight book here [http://mikedesocio.com/book/].

The 'First' Openly Gay Eagle Scout, with Pascal Tessier

In this episode of the Morally Straight Podcast, I’m talking to Pascal Tessier. During a whirlwind few years of his teenage life, Tessier became a key spokesman for gay inclusion in the Boy Scouts of America. Why it matters: Despite coming from a inclusive troop in the Washington, D.C., area, Tessier partnered with Scouts for Equality to advocate for an end to the BSA’s ban on gay youth in 2013. Just months after that policy ended, Tessier became an eagle scout, and helped usher in the later policy change for gay adults in 2015. In my conversation with Tessier, we talked about: * The uniquely accepting family and scout troop that he grew up in * How he briefly became the face of the campaign for gay inclusion * What he makes of his unofficial title of the 'first' openly gay eagle scout

Transforming Scouting From the Inside, with Cheryl Katon

In this episode of the Morally Straight Podcast, I’m talking to Cheryl Katon. She grew up in Scouting in the 1970s and 80s, and went on to spend her entire career working for the BSA. Why it matters: Katon wasn’t just any Scouting professional. In every council where she worked, she was an outspoken advocate for queer and, especially, trans people like herself. By the time she changed careers in 2021, she helped top BSA leaders navigate crucial policy changes that changed opened the doors to LGBTQ scouts. In my conversation with Katon, we talked about: * How she came to understand her gender identity as a teenager * Her experience implementing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”-style policies on the council level before gay members were officially allowed * Why she decided to leave professional Scouting Thanks for listening, and if you enjoy this episode, please share it with a friend! Get full access to Morally Straight at morallystraight.substack.com/subscribe [https://morallystraight.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]