Pride Profile: Sam Gartzman

I first met Sam Gartzman last spring, in the lead up to this newsletter’s first event, which commemorated the eight-year anniversary of the BSA’s decision to end the ban on gay youth.

Gartzman joined our small team to help design and lead the breakout sessions during that event. It was an absolute pleasure for me to get to know Gartzman and work with him during those few months. And it was just as wonderful to catch up with him a few weeks ago for his Pride Profile.

Read our conversation below, which has been edited for brevity and clarity.

What would you tell your younger Scouting self?

There's a lot of things I would probably tell my younger self, but I think in regards to being queer, one: There's always going to be naysayers, just don't let them get you down. You're doing what makes you happy, and don't let that stress you out, or don't let that add to your plate. I would say the other part would be: Trust your friends, trust your relationships. You're doing this because you like hanging out with people, you like doing the work, becoming a young leader. And trust the relationships that you've built throughout it. They might surprise you in your interactions with them as you're honest and fully transparent with everyone.

What future do you want to see for LGBTQ+ people in Scouting?

I want it to not be a big deal. It was such a to-do for so long. And straight people don't have to come out that they're straight, right? People don't need to come out, it doesn't need to be this whole, need-to-tell-everyone, this-is-a-big-deal thing, because it's not a big deal at the end of the day. And having that be the norm in Scouting, I think would be ideal. And that would open a lot of doors to a lot of other supports that we can give young people across the country.

Why is Scouting worth it to you?

For the most part I felt that I was good at Scouting. I was never very athletic. I was never the most popular kid in school. But in Scouting, I felt like the most popular kid, I felt very good at what I was doing. I was given leadership opportunities, I made amazing relationships with people that I continue to talk with. And it really boils down to getting the chance to do some of the things that maybe in other settings I wasn't able to do, whether it's leadership, or outdoor skills, or camping, or things like that.

Is there anything else I should know about your Scouting experience?

Being queer in Scouting has been a weird road to navigate. But at the end of the day, I feel much more happy, satisfied being out, queer and around people that are very much supportive of it. And I think that makes the experience 300 times better than it was when I was constantly worrying or constantly stressed about not being able to do this program that I really enjoyed that I felt good at. And I think that, looking back now, I really appreciate that aspect much more than I did when I was younger.