Eagle Scouts Protest Gay Ban

image from wikipedia, not my own

Eagle Scouts (the highest level of Boy Scouts) are turning in their badges in protest of the BSA not allowing openly gay or lesbian youth or parents in their troops. According to the site, the BSA policy states that "While the BSA does not proactively inquire about the sexual orientation of employees, volunteers, or members, we do not grant membership to individuals who are open or avowed homosexuals or who engage in behavior that would become a distraction to the mission of the BSA.”

The website set up explains how you can send in your badge and also shares letters/photos of those that have already done so. They say-

Many Eagle Scouts have returned their badges in protest since the Boy Scouts of America announced it’s decision to reaffirm the ban on openly gay people participating in the organization. This site was created to display those letters and encourage more Eagle Scouts to join the movement against BSA bigotry and discrimination.

And that-

127 Eagle Scouts have shared their pictures and letters renouncing their Eagle award on this site as of August 17, 2012.

I applaud these Eagle Scouts for sticking up for what they believe in and supporting their fellow human beings. I know it can't be easy for all of them to give up a symbol of all their hard work, but they are definitely doing it for a great and just cause. I've been a Girl Scout since elementary school. I stopped working at it around Junior year of high school but we did finish while trying to achieve our Gold Award (the top award for Girls Scouts) and I know that if I'd actually earned it, I would be sad to see it go but I'd know that I was doing the right thing and would happily be part of a wonderful movement.

What are your opinions? Do you know any Eagle Scouts that might want to send a letter?

The New Cast of Glee + More Spoilers for Season 4!

It's not really a surprise that I'm a huge fan of Glee. I know people have problems with the show and I get that. There are things that I just have to shake my head at too, but when it comes down to it, I feel for the characters. I believe in them. I love the songs and how they relate to life. I like that they are the outcasts. They might not all look like the "nerds" or "dorks" you think of but that's a good thing too...it shows that people are all different and you can be pretty on the outside but full of diversity on the inside. It's a mix.
Anyway, I'm not here to talk about my love of Glee for pages and pages until you stop scrolling and throw your comptuer across the room. I have some news about the upcoming season!

Glee comes back on Thursdays (note the change from Tuesday) starting September 13th at 9 p.m.

There are also a lot of new characters like two new girls, Melissa Benoist and Becca Tobin, playing Marley and Kitty, respectively.

Benoist is the left, Tobin on the right

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There are two new guys as well- Dean Geyer and Jacob Artist.

From the article, "Geyer... has been cast as Brody Weston, an upperclassman at NYADA who shows an interest in Lea Michele’s Rachel. Meanwhile, back at McKinley, Artist will play Puck’s younger half-brother Jake."

Geyer on the left, Artist on the right

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I don't know what roles the girls will play, but I think having Puck's younger brother should be pretty interesting...I'm curious about the characters we all know so well having family we have yet to really get to know, like Blaine and his older brother (who we met last season; played by Matt Bomer).

One of last year's Glee Project winners was Damian McGinty who played the Irish exchange student, Rory, who I'm a huge fan of...so I'm bummed to hear he won't be coming back to McKinley...at least not for the fall season. Fingers crossed for the spring!

Want to know more about Damian, as well as 14 other spoilers about the fourth season of Glee? Check out this exciting article! If you don't want anything at all ruined for you, well, don't read it. But avoiding any and all spoilers about the new season of Glee might be a bit difficult if you're attached to the internet like I am.

What do you all think about the upcoming season? Feel free to share your thoughts. As long as you aren't rude to another commenter, then we're good!

Review: Andy Squared by Jennifer Lavoie

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Andy Squared by Jennifer Lavoie

Out September 18th!

Review by Lauren

copy from Bold Strokes Books and Netgalley

Official Summary: Seventeen-year-old twins, Andrew and Andrea Morris, have always been close. They share everything—from their friends to a room—and they both enjoy star positions on their high school’s soccer teams. All’s right with the twins...or is it?

When new student Ryder Coltrane moves from Texas to their small New York town, he spins Andrew’s world upside down. All of Andrew’s past relationship troubles begin to make sense and his true feelings start to click into place after Ryder comes out to him. His friendship with Ryder turns secretively romantic, but secrets, they soon find out, are hard to keep. Once rumors start to fly, so-called friends turn on them, and the boys’ relationship turns into a bomb about to explode. But Andrew never expected it would be his own twin, Andrea, holding a lighter to ignite it.

Review: Andrew never thought that he might like guys. After all, the only out guy in his school was called names and pushed around. Even Andrew's best friend Charlie used derogatory terms, so it's no wonder when Ryder moves to town and Andrew learns he's gay, he doesn't tell anyone and does everything he can to downplay the rumors. When the two of them decide to give each other a chance, it works. In their own little world, though.

Ryder lives with his aunt and uncle and teaches Andrew how to ride. They spend many afternoons after school just basking in each other's company. It's relatively a sweet romance. There is kissing and sex, but nothing gratuituous. Andrew is finally learning to be himself, and it's easiest to do so with Ryder. However, Andrew's twin, Andrea, isn't ready to let her brother go. She doesn't know about Andrew's new relationship, but she is already upset about Andrew wanting to stop playing soccer in college and even go to another university than his twin.

Andy Squared is great when it comes to including family, which often seems lacking in YA these days. Andrew not only has to deal with Andrea's anger towards him before and after she finds out about him and Ryder, but there is also plenty of fun and a bit of drama concerning other aspects of his family from grandparents to parents. Even Ryder's aunt and uncle play a large role in the novel.

I really enjoyed Andy Squared overall. I actually read it in one night. Whenever I wanted to stop and actually get some sleep, I would start a new chapter just to see what would happen next with Andy, Ryder, and the drama that slowly unfolded upon their perfect world. I would say the ending was a bit too quick. I liked it, don't get me wrong, but I guess I just wanted more, and I suppose that's never a bad thing, right?