Pride Profile: Davis Kellogg

Pride Profiles are stories that revisit and introduce some of Scouting’s LGBTQ+ leaders and activists. This story was part of a collection of profiles destined for a national Scouting conference that was cancelled last year due to the pandemic. So I wanted to share it here, and give you all a chance to learn about Davis Kellogg’s experience in Scouting.

As a youth, Davis Kellogg succeeded in basically every way a Boy Scout could. He earned his Eagle Scout rank. He served as lodge chief of his Order of the Arrow lodge. And then he went on to earn his Triple Crown — a recognition for those who attend three Scouting high adventure bases — in a single summer.

That experience — “the best summer of my life” — inspired Kellogg to become a foreman at two of the high adventure bases: Northern Tier (a wilderness canoeing program in Northern Minnesota and Canada) and Florida Sea Base (an aquatic program in the Florida Keys).

During those same years in his personal life, Kellogg realized he was gay. He came out to his family and close friends. But when he returned to work at Northern Tier the following summer, he was inclined to hide it from his Scouting community.

As the weeks went by, Kellogg felt like he was becoming great friends, “even brothers,” with some his fellow foremen. (It’s a role that involves guiding groups of teenagers through extremely unforgiving, remote wilderness conditions for 10 days or more. As a participant of the program myself, I can also attest to the close bonds that are forged in that environment.)

Kellogg said one of the other foremen could tell that Kellogg wasn’t being 100% himself, that something was off. So after Kellogg knew he could trust him, he came out.

“Coming out to my foremen brothers was the hardest thing to do, but they became the group that supported me the most,” Kellogg said.

In hindsight, he wishes his younger self would have learned to be okay with the uncertainty, with not having all the answers about his sexuality.

“When I look back on my experience I wouldn’t change a thing. I had times where I didn’t know how to identify, and that was okay. In Scouting, we are surrounded by some of the best support systems for today’s youth. Don’t hesitate to talk to someone about what your going through,” he said.

And his advice to other LGBTQ youth?

“Find comfort in who you are and don’t be afraid to share that with the world. I found confidence, empowerment, and a better sense of happiness when I became comfortable being me,” he said.