Karen Andresen’s son Ryan (pictured) had been in the Boy Scouts for more than a decade when he was rejected for its highest honour – The Eagle Award.<br>
His scoutmaster refused to approve him for it after finding out Ryan was gay.<br>
“It hurts me so much to watch Ryan suffer for being who he is, because to me, he’s perfect,” Karen wrote in <a href=”https://www.change.org/p/overturn-ban-on-gay-scouts” target=”_blank”>her petition</a> calling for an end to ban on gay youth in the Scouts. “Ryan has worked for nearly 12 years to become an Eagle Scout, and nothing would make him more proud than earning that well-deserved distinction.<br>
“I hope that if enough people come together, we can convince my son’s troop leaders to help him feel proud of who he is and all he’s accomplished.”<br>
In May 2013, Boy Scouts of America’s National Council voted to overturn the ban. In all, 479,734 people signed the petition.
Change.org