The real hook for me, however, was an examination of what enables gay-straight alliances in contemporary society, that is, what happens when gay and straight people come together to advocate for civil rights. Why is it important for people of one group to speak out on behalf of those of another? This notion grabbed me early on when I read about Steven Cozza's petition drive to end the Boy Scouts' ban on gays. There have been a number of important documentary films about the experience of gay people within American institutions and the oppression they face. There are far fewer films that address what enables gay and straight people to come together to work for social change.

Many social justice movements in the United States have had very insular trajectories. Individuals who face discrimination band together with others who share the same experience. A cause is born. Feminist women (predominantly) protest at women's rights events. African Americans attend the Million Man Marches. Gay people carry rainbow banners through gay pride marches. As the U.S. has become an increasingly pluralistic society, democracy, it seems, is ever more predicated on understanding cultural differences, and linking these disparate movements.

The work I've done in SCOUT'S HONOR and the work I hope to do in future projects is about this kind of bridge building.

P.O.V.: How did you hear about this story and find Steven Cozza?
TS: Three years ago, I read an article about Steven Cozza and his petition drive in Petaluma, California to overturn the Scouts' anti-gay policy. I called his family, met them for lunch and was impressed on the spot by their level of conviction. I was also impressed and intrigued by what could motivate a straight identified teenager along with his straight sister and parents to mount a gay rights campaign. Couple that with how seemingly ordinary the Cozzas are, not the civil rights politicos one might expect from an urban area like San Francisco or New York, and you really have an interesting story in your hands. At the time I read this article, their movement, called Scouting for All, was nascent and local. I had no idea how national and international their presence would become, but I had a sense that something was alive, something was moving in Everytown, USA. So, I grabbed my DV camera and began filming.

Concurrently, legal cases involving Tim Curran and James Dale were beginning to make national headlines: the Boy Scouts' win in California against Curran after 17 years of litigation and the first victory against the Scouts by Dale in New Jersey. The legal cases presented a wonderful backdrop on which to look at Scouting for All's slow but steady crusade. The actions of Steven Cozza clearly were not occurring in a vacuum; the actions of those gay Scouts before him provided critical context for his activism.

When I met Dave Rice, I knew I had found Mr. Scout. For anyone who asks, "Why care about Scouting and this issue?" Dave Rice's life provides compelling fodder. Although straight himself, and after having been involved actively in the Scouts for 59 years, Rice was dismissed for taking on their anti-gay agenda. His continued devotion to the ideals of Scouting was palpable, even after having been excommunicated from their ranks. His story, perhaps more than any other, illuminates the disparity between stated Scouting tenets of respect and fairness for all and the exclusionary ban.

P.O.V.: What did you hope to achieve in making this film?
TS: I see the largest potential impact of SCOUT'S HONOR among young people, people who have come of age in a more tolerant age and for whom the words of Steven Cozza might resonate strongly. While young people have inherited a disaffected attitude toward institutions and the political process, I believe their idealism is alive and well and their curiosity and responsiveness to exploring cultural differences in society is boundless. I hope this idealism will be kindled by SCOUT'S HONOR. The activism that Steven Cozza models in the film, I hope will mirror what is happening and can happen across the country when young people are given opportunities and a voice to speak out and stand up.

Steven's power is remarkable, not because he is the only young person to take risks in struggling for social change, but because he remains a kid while doing so. As important as his cause has become to him personally, it is equally matched by his aspirations to become a professional road bicycle racer. His time spent giving speeches at civil rights rallies around the country is matched by his time on the wrestling mat and the soccer field. It is possible to be a straight kid in America and be a gay or civil rights activist, too.