Eagle Scouts

Jace King was “looked down upon by older adults… saying that I shouldn’t be there, that I should be in the Girl Scouts instead.” Now he has succeeded.

“My hope is that the lessons I learned through my struggles will help you too.”

CHEVY CHASE, Md. — Change is coming quickly to the Boy Scouts of America after years of turmoil and debate over its membership policy, with an openly gay 17-year-old in Maryland achieving the highest rank of Eagle Scout.

A California teen who spent years in the Boy Scouts completing the requirements to become an Eagle Scout, only to be denied the rank because he’s gay, has received new support by the local council’s review board to receive Scouting’s highest honor, the rank of Eagle Scout.

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Zachary Stirewalt, a 21-year-old openly gay Eagle Scout and former student at Appalachian State University, has been charged with murder of a man with whom he was staying at the time.

LOS ANGELES — A Moraga, Calif., teen who was kicked out of the Boy Scouts and denied his Eagle award because he is gay, was awarded a $20,000 scholarship from the online photo album company Shutterfly during an appearance on the Ellen Degeneres show on Thursday.

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, Calif. — A 17-year-old high school senior from this hillside area just east of Oakland, Calif., has been told by the Boy Scouts that he is not eligible to be awarded the rank of Eagle Scout because he is gay.

At least six Eagle Scouts from across the country have return their Eagle Scout medal to the Boy Scouts of America in response to the organization’s refusal to reverse its long-standing policy against gay scouts and gay and lesbian scout leaders.

Naka Nathaniel, a once devoted and proud Eagle Scout, said he is renouncing his rank until the Boy Scouts of America ends its ban on gay scouts and gay and lesbian scout leaders.