Ryan Andresen, Gay Teen Denied Eagle Scout Honor, to Give 400K Signatures to Boy Scouts

A model Boy Scout

Ryan Andresen, the incredibly cool scout who was recently booted from the Boy Scouts because he's gay, is taking on his troop like no other gay has before.

Today, the Bay Area teen is planning to deliver 400,000-plus signatures from people across the nation who say the Boy Scouts of America should give Andresen the Eagle Scout honor that he earned this year. The scouts denied Andresen this top honor -- and then kicked him out of the scouts -- simply because he is gay.

See also: Ryan Andresen, Gay Teen Denied Eagle Scout Honor, Tells His Story on Ellen

Well, Andresen's mother wasn't going to stand for that; Karen Andresen started a petition on Change.org, one that garnered hundreds of thousands of signatures, and even got the attention of Ellen Degeneres, who invited Andresen on her show last week.

The Bay Area Boy Scouts have agreed to meet with Andresen and his family to accept the petition and talk this afternoon. We're expecting they'll be on their best behavior since California Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner will also be there to present Ryan with a resolution honoring "his courage to speak out about the Boy Scouts' anti-gay policy."

"My son has showed incredible courage in telling his story," Karen Andresen said. "Luckily, thousands of people are now standing up and supporting my son in hopes that Troop 212 will do the right thing, and give him his Eagle Scout Award."

"I'll be right by Ryan's side until we convince the Boy Scouts to stop this discrimination," his mother added.

The pow-wow will take place at 3 p.m. today in Pleasant Hill. Good luck to the Andresens.

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