Ryan Andresen, gay Boy Scout denied award, says leader ignoring him

Boy Scout Ryan Andresen, who was denied an Eagle Scout award because he's gay, says his troop leader won't speak to him.

Andresen, who lives near San Francisco, has said that his troop leader knew he was gay but nevertheless denied him the award after he completed the work needed to earn it.

In an appearance on cabler CNN's Anderson Cooper 360, Andresen said his leadership service project was creating a tolerance wall at his middle school.

Andresen said he was "pretty naïve to" the Scouts' policy banning gay members, adding that his troop leader told his father about the decision to deny the award.

"He still won't talk to me," he said. "He's ignoring me still."

"It's really sad. I feel really devastated. Especially because I looked up to him for so long. To have him just totally ignore me like this, like it's not like him. It's just sad."

When Cooper asked why gays should be allowed in the Scouts, Andresen answered: "Because we're not any different. We're not inadequate. We're people, too. We're all people. Everyone's a person."