RobD

Actually, Eagle in KY, I didn't say any of the things you said I did. Also an Eagle Scout, and a young gay man, I am happy to acknowledge that I think BSA's stance on homosexuality is wrong. However, my point was to wonder whether the homophobia that is so strong in Boy Scouting may have contributed to this tragedy by either provoking self-hating feelings in Gary Hirte, or denying him the ability to safely get help within his Scout support system.

Reading between the lines of news reports regarding his victim, one has to wonder whether scouting's inherent homophobia may have played a part in this tragedy. Whether or not the victim was actually gay, it seems likely that our Eagle Scout would have thought he was. A single man with artistic aspirations, living alone in a secluded spot, and apparently ambushed while naked -- could it be that homosexual panic pushed this poor Scout into a violent act otherwise completely inconsistent with his values and history? It bears investigation.