California Honors Gay Teen Kicked Out Of Boy Scouts
SACRAMENTO (CBS SF) -- A Moraga teen who was denied his Eagle Scout award and kicked out of the Boy Scouts because he is gay will be honored by the California state Assembly Monday.
Assembly Speaker John Perez, who is openly gay himself, will recognize 18-year-old Ryan Andresen at the opening legislative session at noon.
After Andresen was told to leave his Boy Scout troop because of
his sexual orientation, his mother, Karen Andresen, began a petition on
Change.org that garnered the attention of public figures from Andresen is asking Boy Scout Troop 212 to give her son the
Eagle Scout badge—the Boy Scouts' top honor.
The teen completed a capstone project to earn the badge—an anti-bullying "Tolerance Wall" at his former school, Joaquin Moraga Middle School.
Representatives from the council that oversees the local troop have confirmed that Andresen's Scouts membership was revoked because he is gay, in accordance with the Boy Scouts of America's national policy.
Today, Andresen and his family will attend the legislative session and will meet with supporters of his campaign, including Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner, state Sen. Leland Yee and Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Last month, Ryan and Karen Andresen shared their story on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and on Anderson Cooper 360. DeGeneres presented the teen with a $20,000 scholarship check from Shutterfly.com.
(Copyright 2012 by CBS San Francisco and Bay City News Service. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
