Boy Scouts of America ban troop leader who came out as homosexual on NBC News
SEATTLE, WA , April 2, 2014 – The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) have removed a Seattle-area troop leader and banned him from the organization for going public with his homosexuality, in what is thought to be the first such case since the BSA voted to allow openly homosexual youth, but not adults, to join. Scoutmaster Geoff McGrath, 49, a former Eagle Scout and leader of Troop 98 in Rainier Beach, had his BSA membership revoked Monday after an NBC News reporter contacted the organization seeking comment for a profile the network was doing on “the first openly gay Scoutmaster in the nation.” It turned out McGrath’s superiors had been unaware he was homosexual, although he had previously been ejected from the Scouts at age 22 after coming out to his troop leaders, is “married” to another man, and has been a vocal critic of BSA policies regarding homosexuals. His brother and nephew even participated in a bike ride from Seattle to BSA headquarters in Denton, TX to p