As he turns 18, an Eagle Scout asks Robert Gates to allow gay adult Scouts

Pascal Tessier is the first known openly gay Eagle Scout.

Yesterday, Pascal turned 18. This meant that he was now considered an adult by the Boy Scouts of America, and under the current rules adopted by the BSA, Pascal now cannot be a part of the organization that has meant so much to him.

On his 18th birthday, he shared this open letter to former U.S Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who now serves as President of the Boy Scouts of America, wherein he urges Gates to end the ban on gay adult Boy Scouts.  The full essay appeared on Time.com.

Just part of Pascal's letter reads:

I was just 4 years old when I went on my first camping trip with my older brother and his Cub Scouts pack. After that, I was hooked.

Scouting has been a constant part of my life... The Boy Scouts taught me everything from how to survive in the woods to the morals and values that shaped the person I am today. For that, and for the good times and friends I made through Scouting, I will always be grateful.

Today is my 18th birthday, a milestone on my path to becoming an adult and the day I am no longer eligible to be a Boy Scout because I am gay. Despite the Boy Scouts’ historic decision last year to open its ranks to gay youth, the Scouts still ban gay adults. And as of today, that means me.

Mr. Gates, only you have the power and experience to bring an end to the unwarranted, unjust and un-Scout like ban on gay adults. Every day that you do nothing, more boys and parents struggle with their place in Scouting, in their communities and in their families.

Not long ago, Mr. Gates, you were instrumental in the repeal of the military’s ban on gay service members, telling the U.S. Senate in February 2010 that, “The question before us is not whether the military prepares to make this change [to allow gay service members], but how we best prepare for it.”

Openly gay adults will eventually be allowed in Scouting, Mr. Gates. As support for equality continues to grow, Americans will soon demand it. The question before you, then, is not whether the ban should end, but how many more young people like me will be a victim of your failed leadership if you do nothing.