The U.S. Department of War (DOW) will keep providing conditional support to Scouting America after the organization, which in recent years has embraced gender ideology, vowed to abandon its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives (DEI).
In his announcement, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said he had been considering ending all support for the organization formerly known as the Boy Scouts of America as a result of its shift toward cultural changes, Pentagon News reported Friday.
Hegseth detailed the changes made by the historic organization, stating that “After 2012, however, the Boy Scouts lost their way, and a once-great organization became gravely wounded. [DEI] crept in, the name was changed to ‘Scouting America,’ girls were accepted [and] the focus on God as the ruler of the universe was watered down to include openness to humanism and Earth-centered pagan religions.”
Indeed, a report from November said Hegseth wanted the U.S. Military to cut ties with Scouting America after it embraced gender ideology and DEI, per Breitbart News.
He reportedly said the group had become an organization designed to “attack boy-friendly spaces” after the military had provided support to the group for more than 100 years, the outlet noted.
The impetus behind possibly ending the relationship with the organization, Hegseth explained on Friday, was because it had violated President Donald Trump’s Executive Order (EO) 14173.
The EO’s purpose was to end illegal discrimination and restore merit-based opportunities for Americans, the presidential action read:
Illegal DEI and DEIA policies not only violate the text and spirit of our longstanding Federal civil-rights laws, they also undermine our national unity, as they deny, discredit, and undermine the traditional American values of hard work, excellence, and individual achievement in favor of an unlawful, corrosive, and pernicious identity-based spoils system. Hardworking Americans who deserve a shot at the American Dream should not be stigmatized, demeaned, or shut out of opportunities because of their race or sex.
Hegseth said he met with scouting leaders to discuss the concerns, and the organization agreed to several “key reforms,” the Pentagon article continued:
Those reforms are outlined in a signed memorandum of understanding for partnership and policy alignment between the Pentagon and Scouting America that states Scouting America will ensure full adherence with the principles contained in Executive Order 14173.
“This includes reviewing and replacing politicized, divisive and discriminatory language throughout the organization, programs and all publications. No more DEI. Zero,” Hegseth said.
The group said it will cut its DEI “citizenship in society” merit badge required for Life Scouts working towards the rank of Eagle Scout.
“The document also lists a pair of changes that are meant to be conducive to the War Department and Scouting America getting back into a mutual alignment that promotes the ‘frontiersman ethos,’ which prepped young men for the military and supported recruitment throughout the services,” the Pentagon report stated, adding the group will introduce a military service merit badge.
In response to the DOW’s statement, Scouting America, which in 2023 invited LGBTQ advocates to its national jamboree camp in West Virginia and changed its name in 2025 to be more “gender neutral,” said, “Over several months, we engaged in dialogue with Department leadership to align on how we could deepen our service to military families, while making programmatic updates to comply with Executive Order 14173.”
However, the group said it kept the Scouting America name and “preserved our service to the more than 200,000 girls who participate in our programs. Girls have been an integral part of Scouting since the 1960s and have served as leaders and program developers for decades. That commitment is unwavering.”
Hegseth on Friday said if within the next six months the organization has not made significant progress regarding the changes, the DOW will review and decide whether or not to continue supporting the group.
“The onus is squarely on Scouting America to deliver. If we’re unsatisfied with Scouting America’s progress toward and commitment to the agreed upon reforms, we will find them in violation of the president’s executive order and cease our support.”
“Ideally, I believe the Boy Scouts should go back to being the Boy Scouts, as originally founded, a group that develops boys into men. Maybe someday,” he said.
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