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Monday, Apr 22, 2013 4:59 PM UTC

Gay filmmakers defy Boy Scouts ban, help scouts get cinematography merit badges

The movie-making experience was, per one scout's account, "the most fun they've ever had" VIDEO

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Topics: Video, Boy Scouts of America, Gay Rights, ,

Gay filmmakers defy Boy Scouts ban, help scouts get cinematography merit badges (Credit: YouTube)

Filmmaker and Eagle Scout Todd Bieber recently recruited friends and colleagues from the industry to help him serve as a cinematography merit badge counselor for his old Boy Scout troop, teaching the scouts how to write, storyboard, shoot and edit movies. Many of the volunteer counselors in the day-long tutorial in filmmaking were openly gay writers, directors and entertainers, as Bieber is quick to point out in the video he made about the experience.

According to recent reports, the Boy Scouts national organization is set to drop its ban on openly gay scouts, but will continue its policy against gays serving in leadership positions. Which is a pity, really, because the verboten openly gay volunteers who assisted Bieber provided a movie-making experience that was, per one scout’s account, “the most fun” the troop ever had.

You can see Bieber’s video documenting the experience, as well as the final product, “The Attack of the Mutant Scouts,” below:

Katie McDonough is an assistant editor for Salon, focusing on lifestyle. Follow her on Twitter @kmcdonovgh or email her at kmcdonough@salon.com. More Katie Mcdonough.

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