In early October, then 17-year-old Boy Scout Ryan Andresen of Moraga was denied his Eagle Scout award after working for nearly a decade to complete the requirements. The reason for the denial: He’s gay.
Andresen is a prime example of the effects of the BSA’s outdated and discriminatory policies. After spending countless hours working toward the Eagle award, Andresen deserves to receive it for the simple fact that he completed the requirements, regardless of his sexual orientation.
The Boy Scouts’ longtime policy of banning gay leaders and members was affirmed in 2000 with BSA v. Dale when the Supreme Court decided that because the BSA is a private organization, it is exempt from state laws prohibiting anti-gay discrimination. This policy is still in place today, and the organization does not seem likely to change it anytime soon.
Even so, the organization’s refusal to amend this policy is utterly ridiculous. The Eagle Scout award is given to a scout who fully integrates the Scout Oath and Law into his life, as well as demonstrating exceptional leadership. There is absolutely no reason that Andresen should be denied the award after his years of dedication.
The main principle of Boy Scouts is the adherence to the Scout Law, 12 principles that guide a scout’s life. The BSA organization is being hypocritical by not following the 12th point of the law: “A scout is reverent.” A scout should be tolerant and respectful toward other individuals and their beliefs.
By denying a scout like Andresen the Eagle award, the BSA is also doing both itself and its members a huge misdeed. The organization’s discriminatory laws not only harm the BSA’s impressionable young members but also set a poor example for the rest of the country.
For his part, Andresen received an outpouring of support through online petitions and social media, and even Eagle Scouts themselves have given Andresen their support. Matthew Kimball, 30, and other Eagle Scouts of Troop 212 have offered up their Eagle Scout pins to support Andresen.
The BSA should be proud of such an accomplished young man like Andresen. The organization needs to accept that Andresen is one of the many scouts in the nation who have truly exemplified the Scouting spirit and deserves the prestigious Eagle Scout award, regardless of his sexuality, which is no business of the Boy Scouts anyhow.
