Following the announcement that President Obama opposes discrimination in the Boy Scouts of America, Aaron Becker penned a piece penned a piece for the Daily Beast explaining why he is returning his Eagle Scout medal.
White House spokesperson Shin Inouye said in a statement to the Washington Blade, "The President believes the Boy Scouts is a valuable organization that has helped educate and build character in American boys for more than a century. He also opposes discrimination in all forms, and as such opposes this policy that discriminates on basis of sexual orientation."
This announcement put the President in line with over 300,000 Americans who have signed a Change.org petition created by ousted scout mom Jennifer Tyrrell. The announcement also puts the President in line with Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.
In his piece, titled “Take That, Boy Scouts: I’m Rejecting My Eagle Award,” Becker said he was joining other Eagle Scouts who “are using their heightened moral compass to speak out against the organization’s inherently discriminatory policy with the gesture of renouncing their Eagle award.”
Becker went on to post his letter to the Boy Scouts of America, in which he wrote,
This has not been an easy thing to do, namely because being an Eagle Scout has been such a defining accomplishment in my life. Scouting taught me responsibility, honor, and confidence. Ironically, these same valuable skills are what gives me the strength today to give up something that is so important to me for the sake of standing up for what is right.
You can read about other Eagle Scouts who have taken action against the discriminatory policy by visiting GLAAD’s website.