America's First Openly Gay Eagle Scout!!!

First, the good news: Pascal Tessier, a senior at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in Maryland, just became the first openly gay Eagle Scout in the U.S. The bad news: The Boy Scouts are probably going to kick Tessier out in a couple of months.

Tessier, 17, shown above in uniform with his family, earned his final requisite badge Monday night, making him the first known homosexual Scout to attain the organization's highest rank since it relented in allowing gay boys into its troops last month.

But there's still a catch, the Washington Post reports: Tessier may ultimately lose his membership in the Scouts this summer:

Ultimately, the council voted to accept gay youths but not gay adults. Even as he celebrated Monday night, Tessier was well aware of how the partial policy change could affect him. He will turn 18 in August. "It's kind of a backhanded acceptance: We accept you for now," he said. "It says to you you're a monster of some sort." 

Interestingly, Tessier's older brother Lucien is also gay, and he also became an Eagle Scout several years back—albeit while concealing the fact of his sexual identity. There's no telling how many more Eagle Scouts have been secretly gay. But maybe they can start their own club. After all, Pascal Tessier may need a new support unit in August if his current one kicks him out.


via Gawker