Carly Rae Jepsen Pulls Out of Boys Scouts of America Gig Over Gay Rights Concerns

The Boy Scouts of America have now lost both of their headlining performers for the National Scout Jamboree. Carly Rae Jepsen has joined rock band Train in canceling a scheduled performance at the July event, citing the Boy Scouts’ ban on openly gay members within the organization.

Jepsen announced her decision to back out on Twitter:

As an artist who believes in equality for all people, I will not be participating in the Boy Scouts of America Jamboree this summer…

— Carly Rae Jepsen (@carlyraejepsen) March 5, 2013

I always have and will continue to support the LGBT community on a global level …

— Carly Rae Jepsen (@carlyraejepsen) March 5, 2013

and stay informed on the ever changing landscape in the ongoing battle for gay rights in this country and across the globe.

— Carly Rae Jepsen (@carlyraejepsen) March 5, 2013

Jepsen has spoken out in support of LGBT rights in the past, so her decision is probably not a surprise, but it’s a major victory for the more than 64,000 people who signed a petition on Change.org asking the performers to back out of the Boy Scouts gig because of its anti-gay national policy. The public pressure also caused Train to cancel their appearance last week.

Train released a statement last week that read in part, “When we booked this show for the Boy Scouts of America we were not aware of any policy barring openly gay people from participation within the organization. Train strongly opposes any kind of policy that questions the equality of any American citizen. We have always seen the BSA as a great and noble organization. We look forward to participating in the Jamboree this summer, as long as they make the right decision before then.”

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