‘Call Me Maybe’ singer Carly Rae Jepsen cancels Boy Scout concert over gay ban
Credit: Reuters
Canadian pop singer Carly Rae Jepsen on Tuesday pulled out of a concert for the Boy Scouts of America because of the organization’s ban on gay members, becoming the second headliner to pull out of the Scouts’ Summer Jamboree show.
Jepsen, whose hit single “Call Me Maybe” was nominated for Grammy Song of the Year, said on Twitter that she would not perform for the Boy Scouts because of her support for gay rights.
“I always have and will continue to support the LGBT community on a global level,” Jepsen, 27, said.
Rock band Train also said last week they would not play the concert at the Boy Scouts’ National Summer Jamboree, set for July in West Virginia, unless the youth organization changed its ban on gay participants.
The 103-year-old Boy Scouts organization has been under pressure from gay rights groups to change the longstanding position and had said in January it was open to removing the national ban on gays, leaving the decision to local chapters.
But the Boy Scouts last month delayed a vote on ending the restriction, pushing back a decision until at least May.
Jepsen and Train had been targeted by advocacy group GLAAD, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, after they were announced as the headliners for the concert.
An online petition on Change.org asking the “Call Me Maybe” singer to denounce the Scouts’ policy had gathered more than 60,000 signatures.
The Boy Scouts said the Summer Jamboree would go ahead as planned. The National Jamboree takes place every four years and attracts some 45,000 scouts and leaders for outdoor events, showcases and performances.
“We appreciate everyone’s right to express an opinion and remain focused on delivering a great Jamboree program for our Scouts,” Boy Scouts’ spokesman Deron Smith said in a statement.
