A new web series aims to put a creative spin on the controversy surrounding the Boy Scouts of America's stance on gay participants and other issues.
Created by Jeffrey Simon and starring "Friday Night Lights" veteran Brad Leland, "Camp Abercorn" focuses on a fictional scouting organization called the Compass Guides of America, and focuses on "the real situations young men face while away from home for an entire summer."
Simon, who was an active Eagle Scout before coming out as gay at 19, says his new series aims to "re-direct the conversation away from executives in fancy offices and bring it back to the values of scouts and importance of camp."
Despite the Boy Scouts' views on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, Simon tells The Huffington Post that in many ways, the organization taught him "how to be gay."
"I learned to voice my opinion strongly while respecting the positions of others. I learned to be self-reliant," he said. "I was surrounded by friends -- brothers -- who taught me when to speak with my heart and when it was best to keep my mouth shut."
Still, Simon's aims for the show go beyond politics and LGBT matters.
"One of the most rewarding parts of my three summers working on camp staff was being able to give back to the next generation of scouts, and that’s what I hope to do," he says. "I hope to inspire a new generation to take interest in scouting, remind veteran scouts and scouters how special camp is, and prove how the Boy Scouts can remain relevant in a modern America."
Simon and his team have launched an Indiegogo campaign for seven 30-minute episodes. Head here to read more about the campaign.
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