In this episode of the Morally Straight Podcast, I’m talking to Cheryl Katon. She grew up in Scouting in the 1970s and 80s, and went on to spend her entire career working for the BSA.
Why it matters: Katon wasn’t just any Scouting professional. In every council where she worked, she was an outspoken advocate for queer and, especially, trans people like herself. By the time she changed careers in 2021, she helped top BSA leaders navigate crucial policy changes that opened the doors to LGBTQ scouts.
In my conversation with Katon, we talked about:
How she came to understand her gender identity as a teenager
Her experience implementing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”-style policies on the council level before gay members were officially allowed
Why she decided to leave professional Scouting
Thanks for listening, and if you enjoy this episode, please share it with a friend!
🎧 P.S. If you’d rather get these episodes directly in your podcast feed, you can! Find Morally Straight on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and PocketCasts.
📚 And if you want to learn more about this history, you can pre-order the Morally Straight book here.
Transforming Scouting From the Inside, with Cheryl Katon