Why Pascal Tessier's story was a powerful force for change

Pascal Tessier never intended to be an activist, but his experience as a Scout became a near-perfect illustration of why the Boy Scouts' anti-gay policies were untenable.

Why it matters: Tessier became what many call the "first openly gay Eagle Scout" in 2014, and his activism helped pushed the BSA to end the lingering ban on gay adults in 2015.

• In my recent podcast interview with Tessier, I learned more about how he found himself at the center of the gay membership battles.

Go deeper: Tessier grew up in a suburb of Washington, D.C., virtually insulated from homophobia in a school and family that accepted him as a gay person without hesitation.

• That level of acceptance—no doubt helped along by his older brother, also gay—empowered Tessier to be open about his sexuality in Scouting, too.
• When the drumbeat of news about the BSA's anti-gay policies reached the Tessier family, the whole crew decided not to stand by the sidelines. They launched one of what became a long string of petitions on Change.org.
• After the policy changed to allow gay youth in 2013, Tessier became an openly gay Eagle Scout, symbolizing this new milestone for inclusion. But he faced expulsion upon turning 18, because the adult policy had not yet changed.
• Tessier's predicament illustrated the absurdity of the youth-only policy, and helped Scouts for Equality strengthen its push to end the exclusion of gay adults, which happened soon after in 2015.

If you haven’t yet, you can listen to my full conversation with Tessier below.