Scout's-Honor

Now retired at 71, Dave Rice has collected every patch he ever earned in Boy Scouts, including some from 1941. He can tell you the names of each scout in his first cub pack, and remembers the songs his den mother taught him 60 years ago. His love of scouting and scouting ideals is unwavering and he has continued to volunteer as a Scoutmaster and Assistant Scoutmaster in his hometown troop until, at the age of 69, he was expelled from the Scouts for openly challenging their anti-gay policy. Although heterosexual himself, Rice went on to co-found "Scouting for All," a non-profit organization working to overturn the Scouts' ban on gays. Currently, Rice lives with his wife in Petaluma, where they often entertain their four children and five grandchildren.

In 1980, at the age of 18, Tim Curran was ousted from the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) after they discovered he was gay. For the next 17 years, Curran fought his dismissal legally, as well as in the court of public opinion where he became a poster boy for gay rights. As his case unfolded, Curran represented the issue in a number of public venues, including television programs like Larry King Live and Crossfire where he went head to head with Pat Buchanan. Although he eventually lost at the California Supreme Court in 1998, Curran says the process enabled him a public platform to discuss with the American people what it means to be gay and moral. Currently, Curran lives in Washington D.C. where he works as a television news and documentary director.

Steven Cozza, now 16-years-old, plays goalie on his soccer team, races mountain bikes, and organizes an annual clothing drive for homeless people. He is an above average student, an outdoors enthusiast, and an Eagle Scout. In 1998, at the age of 12, Cozza began a small petition drive to overturn the Boy Scouts' anti-gay ban, placing in jeopardy his own position in the organization. For the next three years, he traveled around the U.S., representing "Scouting for All" and igniting a national campaign to change the Boy Scouts from within. Steven and his sister, Anne, currently attend Petaluma High School where they started the school's first gay/straight student alliance.

While a student at Rutgers University in 1990, Eagle Scout James Dale participated in a seminar for gay and lesbian students. After reading about the seminar in a local paper, the Boy Scouts of America expelled him from the organization. James Dale sued and thus launched a ten-year legal battle, culminating in August of 2000 at the U.S. Supreme Court. Represented by Lambda Legal and Education Fund, Dale's case provides a test for anti-discrimination laws around the country that include protections for gay men and lesbians. Dale currently resides in New York City, where he works for POZ Magazine.

Scott and Jeanette Cozza
Steven Cozza's father, Scott, is a social worker in San Francisco where he provides services to homeless clients. In addition, he runs a private counseling practice in Petaluma, California and works on the Board of Scouting for All. His wife, Jeanette, a 4-H enthusiast, teaches kindergarten in Petaluma. Steven's parents helped organize their son's Eagle Scout ceremony and continue to support his efforts in "Scouting for All."