My old radio interview on the gay Boy Scouts issue

I’ve finally been able to get a digital copy made of my appearance on a conservative leaning talk show back on April 1, 2004 (yeah it took me that long, sad huh?). The appearance dealt with the issue of the Boy Scouts and homosexuality and their discriminatory policies which bar both gay youth members and adult leaders. The other guest on the show was Hans Zeiger, about my age (I think he is just a year, maybe less, older than me). Zeiger is the founder and president of the Scout Honor Coalition.

You can get the audio file (about 32 minutes long) of the radio show on my Media-Press page or by clicking here. This is an older recording (in an MP3 format) which I took from an audio cassette tape and its quality is not 100%. You may need to turn up your volume to hear it depending on your computer. If using Mozilla Firefox, simply click the file link and a player will appear (it should load fairly quickly on a high speed connection). The same player should appear for Internet Explorer users, but it loads more slowly. Try right clicking and “Saving target as”

The radio interview, on a station based in Eastern North Carolina, occurred just days before my April 4, 2004 protest of the Old Hickory Council, Boy Scouts of America’s discriminatory policies and discrimination against me. That was the same year that good ole’ Vernon Robinson showed up to counter-protest what I was saying that day.

I definitely hate listening to this radio interview. For those of you who have heard me speak publicly in recent years (this is three years later, of course), you know that I am a pretty good public speaker (although I’ll admit, I’m still not the best). Gosh… Me at 18? Yeah, I was horrible. I can definitely say that there are no where near as many ums, ah, uhs and you know’s in my speech nowadays.

I don’t really know why the radio hosts keep saying how “sharp” and “intelligent” I am during the show; I think I sounded like a dumbass (this was also before I started to more proactively try to control my very country, very hickish Southern accent by turning it into a more dignified North Carolina accent, lol).

Listening to the show again, I also realized just how many of the statements from the hosts, Hans Zeiger and callers were so very prejudiced and, at times, outlandish, foolish and ignorant. If I would do a similar radio interview today, after having a few more years experience with the issues and public speaking, I would do a whole heck of a lot more talking (and actually sounding smart this time around).

But don’t sit here and keep reading what I have to say… go listen to the show.

Technorati Tags: Boy Scouts, Winston-Salem, gay, radio, Viewpoints Radio, Hans Zeiger, Scout Honor Coalition

Posted in Anti-LGBT, Boy Scouts, High School, LGBT, LGBT Youth, Media, North Carolina, Politics, Religion, Sexuality, Winston-Salem |