More than 1,500 New Yorkers gathered today in Manhattan to mourn the death of a 32 year-old gay man, who was shot down on Friday just blocks away from the historic Stonewall Inn in an apparent act of anti-gay bias.
Video: Eagle Scout renounces rank in opposition to anti-gay ban
Monday, June 18, 2012 - 2:03pm by Seth Adam, GLAAD's Senior Manager of Communications
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
MSNBC’s Thomas Roberts today featured former Eagle Scout Naka Nathaniel, who recently renounced his rank until the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) ends its ban on gay scouts and LGBT leaders.
“I really felt so disappointed that in the past 20 years, since I earned my Eagle Scout rank, that Scouting has turned back on people it should be openly embracing,” Nathaniel says.
Nathanel is among a growing number of former scouts, who simply refuse to tolerate the BSA’s long history of discrimination.
Last month, LGBT equality advocate and Eagle Scout Zach Wahls delivered more than 275,000 signatures to the BSA at its National Annual Meeting in Florida calling for an end to the ban.
Former Boy Scout and T.V. icon George Takei is also speaking out, announcing today that he will join GLAAD and Ohio mom Jennifer Tyrrell – who, in April, was ousted as leader of her son’s Boy Scouts troop because she’s gay – at the NYC Pride march, this Sunday, June 24. Takei will stand with Jennifer, as well as local Boy Scouts and hundreds of volunteers, in opposition to the Scouts’ anti-gay policies.
To find out how you can join Takei, Tyrrell and GLAAD this Sunday in NYC, click here.