Susan Donaldson James, via GOOD MORNING AMERICA, tells the story of Pascal Tessier achieving the highest honor in Boy Scouting, even as his older brother is now excluded:
“…just nine months after the Boy Scouts of America lifted its longtime ban on admitting openly gay Scouts, 17-year-old Pascal became the first to receive that coveted award at the All Saints Episcopal Church in Chevy Chase, Md.
But his 21-year-old brother, who is also gay but had to keep his sexuality low key on his path to becoming an Eagle, can no longer participate in Scouting because he is an adult. In a two-tiered policy that began on Jan. 1, the Boy Scouts of America has embraced younger youth who are gay, but not those over 18.
“From a logical perspective, it’s an indefensible policy,” said the brothers’ mother, Tracie Felker, 58. “I do think that the policy is an improvement over the old one, which was so damning to youth. It’s sad for the Scouts who have treated young boys this way. But the new policy can’t be viewed with any kind of integrity. To think that an Eagle Scout is 15, 16, or 17 and then suddenly they are no longer worthy to be a part of Scouting.”