James Dale was an Eagle Scout and volunteer Scoutmaster until 1990 when the Boy Scouts of America expelled him for no longer meeting their standards of morality. Dale, 19-years-old at the time and a 12-year member of the Scouts, was gay. In legal battles that spanned the better part of a decade, he sought reinstatement from the organization. Dale was thrust into the spotlight as his lawsuit led to landmark decisions in the New Jersey State and U.S. Supreme Courts. In a narrow 5-4 decision issued in 2000, the Supreme Court ruled that the Boy Scouts’ right to free association gave them the freedom to expel gay members and leaders. Dale’s message is of diversity, tolerance, and understanding. His presentations remind audiences of their responsibility to affect change in their own lives and to affect positive change in the world around us all.

Diversity, Diversity Topics,