Wearing a Cub Scout summer uniform, a Scoutmaster’s brimmed hat and hiking boots, Madonna took the occasion of an appearance at the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation’s 24th annual Media Awards ceremony to advise the Boy Scouts of America that the organization should “change their stupid rules,†specifically its ban on gay members.
Her admonishment follows a similar entreaty by Bill Gates, who in the first installment of “Playbook Cocktails,†Politico’s new interview series, said that the Boy Scouts should end the ban “because it’s 2013.â€
Madonna, who was on hand Saturday evening to present the Vito Russo Award to the CNN journalist Anderson Cooper, also used her 12-minute speech to speak more broadly - and with a combination of humor nd outrage - about discrimination and violence.
“When I think about young kids today in America who are being bullied and tortured, who are taking their own lives because they feel alone and judged, outcast and misunderstood, I want to sit down and cry a river of tears,†Madonna said. “I have teenagers of my own now, and the idea of them, or any young person, experiencing that kind of pain is unfathomable to me. It’s an atrocity to me. I don’t accept it.â€
The Vito Russo Award, which Madonna presented to Mr. Anderson, is given annually to an openly gay media professional who has made a significant contribution to promoting equality. Mr. Anderson first spoke publicly about his sexuality in July 2012.
