IRVING, Texas (BP) -- With 100-plus degree temperatures outside the Boy Scouts of America Museum, the sweating, 7-year-old Cruz Burns couldn't come up with an answer as to why his mom was holding a press conference.

"Opponents to these policies are relentless and highly vocal. Unfortunately, the silent majority remains largely unheard."

"Is all this stuff the adults are talking about just weird?" the journalist asked the Tiger Cub Scout, while 32-year-old Jennifer Tyrrell continued to make her case for allowing homosexuals to serve in Boy Scouts leadership.

Staring at the ground, tugging at the scarf of his uniform, the little boy nodded, "Yeah."

Burns' participation in an Ohio Cub Scout pack was short-lived. His mother, a lesbian, pulled him from the unit after she was dismissed as its den mother after seven months of service. The local leader who enlisted Tyrrell ignored the long-standing policy that prohibits homosexuals from official roles, telling her instead that it would be fine, Tyrrell said.

But after someone complained to the next level of leadership, the pack was asked to comply with Boy Scouts of America (BSA) standards and removed Tyrrell from her post. Homosexual parents may accompany their kids to scout meetings or show support, but the leadership limitation stands, the BSA said, recognizing that many parents do not want their children led by homosexuals in an organization that promotes character qualities often associated with Judeo-Christian principles.

"The Boy Scouts of America treats everyone with courtesy and respect," BSA spokesperson Deron Smith said, after giving Tyrrell about half an hour to speak with scout officials in the July meeting.

"Today, representatives from the BSA accepted an online petition from Jennifer Tyrrell and her family," he said, noting it was the second time the Ohio woman had delivered petitions to the 102-year-old organization. "The BSA values the freedom of everyone to express their opinion and believes to disagree does not mean to disrespect." Read More