Pride Profile: Enrique Valenzuela
"It is an experience unlike anything else to now be able to truly be myself in an organization that I hold so dear to my heart. If anyone needs a sign to persevere and stick with it, this is it."
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 in 2020 due to the pandemic. So I wanted to share it here, and give you all a chance to learn about Enrique Valenzuela’s experience in Scouting.
I asked Enrique, an Eagle Scout from California, to reflect on a few questions related to Scouting. Below are some of his answers, edited for length and clarity.
Think back to your younger Scouting self, maybe as a first-time lodge officer. What would you tell that person?
I would tell my younger self that there is so much more to learn. Sometimes it’s about the journey rather than the destination.
What future do you want to see for LGBTQ+ people in Scouting?
I hope that one day LGBTQ+ individuals in the Scouting program, and in every way of life, will not be “categorized" or classified by their orientation, but rather respected and accepted in their community.
Why is Scouting worth it?
Scouting has taught me so many things that I would not have learned elsewhere. It gives youth priceless experience that they will use indelibly, and memories that will last a lifetime.
What else should I know about your Scouting story?
My Scouting journey has been long and treacherous. There were times in which I felt as though I was swimming against the current, that the odds were just stacked against me. However, I cannot begin to express to you the unfounded joy that I experienced the day that I obtained my Eagle Scout Rank. In that moment, I knew that despite all those who made me think twice about being there, that I had accomplished something great.
Scouting has evolved in great capacities over the years I have been involved. There was a time in Scouting when I myself was not openly gay. Now, I am able to speak freely about myself, and be my true, authentic self. It is an experience unlike anything else to now be able to truly be myself in an organization that I hold so dear to my heart. If anyone needs a sign to persevere and stick with it, this is it.
