When the Boy Scouts of America voted this week to allow gay adults to be leaders in the organization, it meant many men who spent their childhood in the organization were finally welcome to return.
Eagle Scout Garrett Bryant is one of them. He remembers how he felt the moment he was told he couldn’t work at a Scouting camp here in Arizona.
"Less than human, to be honest," he said.
And he remembers how he felt when the policy changed.
"Just overwhelmed with joy," he said. "I had no words."
Bryant, who grew up in the Valley and now lives in Tucson, had been scouting almost all his life, but had always been quiet about his sexual orientation within the organization. Then he was accidentally "outed" by a friend on social media. He’s now part of the national group Scouts for Equality, which has called for former scouts who disagreed with the group’s old policy to return.
Will that be hard for Bryant?
"Not at all. We need to move forward," he said. "The Boy Scouts are moving forward and I’ll move forward, as well."
That's especially because, when Garrett looks back on his years in the Scouts, he thinks of "lots of happiness and lots of gratitude, very fond memories," he said.
Those are memories he hopes to share with his kids someday.
But others might now be keeping their sons away. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced it will now re-examine its long-standing relationship with the Boy Scouts.
