Monday, July 13, 2015

On my honor...

Today, the BSA made the decision to remove the ban at the national level on gay scout leaders.  I'm still processing exactly what this means to me, but I can tell you I'm very, very happy.

In April of 1997 I was awarded my Eagle Medal, and regardless of my feelings toward the BSA (anger, sadness, pity) I've never wavered in how proud I am of that accomplishment and the Scouts and leaders that I worked alongside to earn it.  Many Scouts sent their Eagle medals back to HQ in protest.  I appreciate that sentiment and applaud them for doing what they felt was what made them feel like they had made a statement.  My view was that the BSA would, to borrow a line from Charlton Heston, take my Eagle from my cold, dead, hands.  I worked hard and earned that and nothing that anyone said or did would take that honor away from me.

As a result of the ban, one thing that I never got a chance to do was join NESA (National Eagle Scout Association).

Between the remainder of senior year and then college life I just never got around to it.  Then I came out in the summer of '99, and by 2000, the Supreme Court declared that the BSA, as a private organization, was completely in its rights to exclude gay scouts and leaders.  With the issue pressed and the court deciding in their favor, whatever "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" détente had existed to that point was over.  Gay leaders and scouts were quickly expelled from all areas of scouting including the troops, local and council leadership, Order of the Arrow, and NESA.

At that point that I knew wasn't going to be able to be involved with Scouting and joining NESA would do nothing more than set myself up for disappointment were I to draw their attention and then stricken from their membership.

From time to time I would get emails talking about joining NESA.  Every time I'd see one, I'd receive it with a combination of  anger and sadness.  Here was something that I wanted, something that I deserved, and I was still on the outside looking in.  Even with the end of the youth ban in 2013, it was still just out of reach.  I knew that one day that the ban on leaders would end and maybe then it would be an option.

Today, I joined NESA.  :)

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