Update, 12:25 p.m. Thursday, added photos of wall of tolerance at Joaquin Moraga Middle School.
When Ryan Andresen completed a 288-tile wall of tolerance at Joaquin Moraga Middle School last month, he thought he had met the requirements to become an Eagle Scout.
But, according to his mother, the scoutmaster of Ryan's Moraga Boy Scout troop is refusing to sign off on the project because Ryan is gay. "We are all just in shock," said Ryan's mother, Karen Andresen.
The family has a petition drawing international attention on Change.org urging the leaders of the local troop to reject the Boy Scouts of America's "discriminatory anti-gay policy" and give Ryan Andresen the Eagle award. Ryan is a senior at Maybeck High School in Berkeley.
"It hurts me so much to watch Ryan suffer for being who he is, because to me, he's perfect," said Karen Andresen.
Ryan's father, Eric Andresen, used to do the bookkeeping for Troop 212. He resigned on Tuesday, Karen Andresen said, after Scoutmaster Ranier del Valle reaffirmed his refusal to sign off on Ryan's project.
Patch is trying to reach del Valle for comment.
Ryan's 18th birthday is Oct. 8, in a few days. The Boy Scouts have a rule that the Eagle Scout project must be approved by the 18th birthday, Karen Andresen said.
She said that Ryan came out to his family two years ago. The idea for the wall of tolerance was a result of the bullying he experienced at school and in the Boy Scouts.
Ryan Andresen hopes to attend the University of San Francisco.
"Many troops around the country are standing up, choosing to reject the Boy Scouts' discriminatory policy," the petition statement by Karen Andresen reads. "I sincerely hope that Ryan's troop — Troop 212 — will become one of them."
The Boy Scouts of America has policies that prohibit "open or avowed" homosexual people from membership in its Scouting program, as well as atheists and agnostics, according to Wikipedia.
One petition signer from overseas wrote on Change.org said he signed "because I am a member of the Boy Scouts in the UK and discrimination is the very thing we are taught against! Scouts are supposed to HONOUR people with ALL their differences. Not treat them like filth."
Thanks to Patch reader Laura Goodman for tipping us to the story.
Watch Patch for updates.
We all know this policy of the Boy Scouts is outrageous, should not exist, and should not be enforced. We need a Rosa Parks moment from the boy scout troop leader.
Meeting Date: October 22, 2012 LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCIL, Laf Library Subject: Request for Proclamation Recognizing Ed Stokes as the 2012 Distinguished Citizen Background: Sue Rainey, on behalf of the Mt. Diablo Silverado Council, Boy Scouts of America, requesting a proclamation from the Lafayette City Council recognizing Ed Stokes as their 2012 Distinguished Citizen.
http://news.yahoo.com/perversion-files-show-locals-helped-cover-181647842.html
Many of the new pseudonym accounts on this and related threads on Patch have little to no comment history, bear strong stylistic similarites, and very likely emanate from a small number of the same IP addresses....
I think that speaks to the BSA trying to balance the interests of the boys against the issues of dealing with the perpetrators humanely. The BSA has evolved on this issue right along with society in general.
My comments were in response to Chris F's post which conveniently failed to mention the cases were more than 25 years old all the way back to 53 years ago. Your comment also wants to bring such wrongs into the present day. I have 5 children and can think of few things worse than child molestation. I have zero desire or intent to minimize such heinous acts. Having said that, judging any organization's actions that occurred 30 and 40 years ago by today's standards is simply unfair. By those standards we should burn down every baptist church in Alabama today for their segregationist attitudes of 50 years ago. And trying to single out the BSA as though it is some lone perpetrator is also unfair. Do you believe the Jerry Sandusky affair would have been handled the same way in 1960 as it was today? I don't. And I'm glad of it. Society has evolved, and for the better.
Further to your outrage, see comment from "Big Leo" at http://news.yahoo.com/perversion-files-show-locals-helped-cover-181647842.html "I was a child abuse investigator in the late sixties and early seventies. It was very difficult to get evidence against any molester of teenagers because EVERY institution covered up for them. It was the opinion of the psychologists and psychiatrists at the time that the proper treatment was removal from temptation and psychotherapy. Those of you who attack the RC or the Scouts should also attack with greater fervor kids' sports and the schools, who were greater offenders." He makes my point beautifully. Child molestation at any time, any place or any context is beyond horrible. But to suggest the BSA was out of step with society with regard to how to handle such incidents as you do, and to leave the casual reader with the notion that the cases are present day, as Chris F's post did, is, to use your word, "shameful".
I agree that no one should "evolve" on the subject of child molestation per se. But institutions of all sorts, government, religious, community etc. have evolved on how best to handle the issue, just as society has on sexual harassment, racism, mental health, slavery, etc. So please spare the disingenuous attempt to make me look like I in any way condone child molestation simply because I acknowledge shifting public policy and legal and professional advice -- two very different issues.
Tom 6:58 pm on Thursday, October 18, 2012 The Scouts are a large organization. This is a shameful history to be certain and many rules were changed to address this years ago. Prayers to all the victims. See, Tom, appears to understand what the correct response is. He doesn't attempt to defend the organization by suggesting, "Oh, well, everybody was doing it." Hopefully BSA leadership reflects Tom's view.
Pointing out that an attempt to smear the BSA from citing cases more than 25 years ago while leaving the impression that the cases are current, is not "blind loyalty". It's an attempt to keep the discussion on fair grounds.
Why not tell us how you really feel?
I don't think I'm in a hole to begin with. I think you find it too tempting of a cheap shot to pass up the accusation that because I think we should put in historical context how institutions (including schools and other government agencies in the 60's and 70's) dealt with child molesters, that I therefore somehow condone child molestation. A very cheap shot indeed. One more time, I believe child molestation is heinous, bad, horrible, atrocious, villainous, damnable.
I believe child molestation is heinous, bad, horrible, atrocious, villainous, damnable in all times and all places with no statute of limitations.