Singer quits concert to protest gay ban
(03-06 11:09)
Canadian singer Carly Rae Jepsen has pulled out of a summer concert for the Boy Scouts of America because of its ban on gay members, she said on Twitter Tuesday.
The Grammy-nominated "Call Me Maybe'' star was the second act to withdraw from the Scouts' summer jamboree show, after US rock band Train pulled out last week.
"As an artist who believes in equality for all people, I will not be participating in the Boy Scouts of America Jamboree this summer... I always have and will continue to support the LGBT community on a global level,'' she wrote.
The Boy Scouts of America, a youth group long seen as symbolizing traditional US values, announced last month that it was delaying a decision on the contentious issue of whether to allow gays to join.
The Scouts had ruled last year to maintain the ban on openly gay boys and adult leaders. Amid political pressure and rapidly shifting social attitudes, the Scouts' leadership said it would review the issue.
But in a statement, its executive board said that "due to the complexity of this issue, the organization needs time'' -- and will "take action'' at a National Annual Meeting in May.
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