OAK PARK, IL - A suburban Chicago man has mailed his Eagle Scout medal back to the Boy Scouts of America to protest the group's decision to continue its ban on gay Scout leaders.

The Chicago Tribune reports that Rob Breymaier of Oak Park says he's long opposed the Scouts' policy and he's given up hope the 102-year-old organization will change it.

Earlier this month, the Scouts reaffirmed its policy of excluding gays after conducting a two-year review. The group cited support from parents as a key reason for keeping the policy.

Breymaier says the decision to reaffirm the policy was the last straw. He calls it "infuriating, embarrassing and upsetting."

A spokesman for the Scouts says five Eagle Scouts had returned their medals in protest of the policy by Friday.