Thursday, October 04, 2012

Would Be Eagle Scout Denied Award Because He Is Gay

As the Los Angeles Times has demonstrated in its recent investigative report , the leadership of the Boy Scouts of America has no problem covering up and protecting serial sexual predators who have molested countless young scouts.  But recognizing an honorable and worthy scout who just happens to be gay?  Well that's a whole different story.  As NBC News is reporting, Ryan Andresen who recently completed the requirements to earn his Eagle Scout award got kicked to the curb by the Boy Scouts for the simple reason that he's gay and doesn't lie about himself and cower in the closet.  The hypocrisy of the Boy Scouts represents a small scale version of the foul hypocrisy of the Catholic Church hierarchy which on the one hand is pushing an incessant  anti-gay jihad while masterminding a world wide conspiracy to enable and/or protect sexual predators.  Here are some highlights from NBC News:

Ryan Andresen had recently completed the requirements to earning his Eagle Scout award, including his final project of building a "tolerance wall" for victims of bullying like himself, but his Scoutmaster would not sign off on honoring him with the Boy Scouts’ highest ranking because he is gay, his mother said.

And late Thursday, the Boy Scouts of America said in a statement that because of Andresen's sexual orientation and that he did not agree to Scouting’s principle of "Duty to God," “he is no longer eligible for membership in Scouting.”

The Boy Scouts of America have a longstanding policy denying membership to gay leaders and Scouts, which they reaffirmed earlier this year after a two-year confidential review of the controversial ban. The Scoutmaster for Troop 212 in Moraga, Calif., told Andresen’s father, Eric, the troop's chief administrator, on Sunday that Ryan wouldn’t be able to get the award, his mother, Karen, and Eric Andresen told NBC News.

“I want everyone to know that [the Eagle award] should be based on accomplishment, not your sexual orientation. Ryan entered Scouts when he was six years  old and in no way knew what he was," said Karen Andresen, 49, a stay-at-home mother of three. "I think right now the Scoutmaster is sending Ryan the message that he’s not a valued human being and I want Ryan to know that he is valued … and that people care about him.”

Ryan, 17, came out in July. Andresen said the Scoutmaster knew about Ryan's sexual orientation and they had no idea he wouldn't sign off on the paperwork. It was “a total shock," she said, adding that Ryan was led all along to believe he would be able to get the award.

I ceased donating any money to the Boy Scouts a number of years ago and candidly, if my son were younger, I'd think twice about involving him in such a bigoted and breath takingly hypocritical and dishonorable organization. 

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