Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced on Friday that Scouting America, formerly the Boy Scouts of America, will dismantle its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) framework and restore sex-based separation for boys and girls in bathrooms, tents, and other "intimate spaces."
According to The Post Millennial, Hegseth disclosed that he had been "seriously considering" ending Department of War support for the youth organization after years of ideological drift. "But, before making this big change, I decided to meet with the current scouting leadership to convey our deep concerns," he explained, underscoring that the Pentagon was prepared to walk away unless the group reversed course.
Following those discussions, Hegseth said Scouting America agreed to "key reforms" as a condition for preserving its longstanding partnership with the military. The organization signed a memorandum of understanding committing to "full adherence with the principles contained in Executive Order 14173," also known as "Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity," signed during Donald Trumps first week back in office.
Hegseth emphasized the organizations historic role in shaping generations of American leaders when it operated under its original name and mission. However, he argued that "After 2012, however, the Boy Scouts lost their way, and a once great organization became gravely wounded. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, DEI, crept in. The name was changed to Scouting America. Girls were accepted. The focus on God as the ruler of the universe was watered down to include openness to humanism and Earth-centered pagan religions."
The Secretary of War condemned the ideological shift as a betrayal of core American and scouting values, blaming it for the groups steep decline. "Along the way, standards were lowered and merit destroyed in favor of an insidious radical woke ideology that is anti America and anti American. The result, membership cratered. Americans didn't want this. In 1970, 10 million boys participated in Boy Scouts. Currently, less than 1 million boys and girls participate." He made clear that these changes had "jeopardized the relationship" with the Department of War.
Under the new agreement, Hegseth said Scouting America has pledged to "comply immediately" with the executive order and purge its materials of ideological activism. "This includes reviewing and replacing politicized, divisive, and discriminatory language throughout the organization, programs, and all publications. No more DEI. Zero." The group will also discontinue its "Citizen in Society" merit badge, which Hegseth said "encouraged scouts to explore diversity, equity, inclusion, and identity. They always mask it under a name that sounds great, but soon its something else, and then asks those scouts to engage in activism on those topics."
In a direct rejection of gender ideology, Scouting America has further agreed to "modify its policy to make clear that membership will be based solely on biological sex at birth and not gender identity." Hegseth added, "Scouting will also make clear that biological boys and girls will not be allowed to occupy or share intimate spaces together, toilets, showers, tents, anywhere like that."
Beyond rolling back progressive policies, the organization will now extend tangible support to military families and reinforce a culture of service. Registration fees will be waived for children of active duty, National Guard, and reserve families, and a new "military service merit badge" will be introduced to honor and encourage patriotic commitment.
"These and other changes that Scouting Americas leadership committed to in that room right over there will hopefully result in a rededication to the foundational ideals that have defined scouting for generations: duty to God and country, leadership, character, and service." Hegseth also signaled his preference for a full return to the traditional boys-only model, adding that such a restoration might come "maybe someday."
With these reforms in place, the Department of War will once again open its doors to the organization under clearly defined terms. The memorandum of understanding authorizes "Scouting America activities to occur on U.S. military installations and in DOW facilities, with appropriate logistical services support, in the United States, its territories or in foreign countries as authorized and approved under applicable law and DOW policy," marking a conditional but significant realignment toward traditional scouting principles.
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