Overview
- Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced a signed memorandum of understanding under which Scouting America will remove DEI language, discontinue the Citizenship in Society badge, and add a new Military Service merit badge.
- The agreement requires membership records to reflect sex at birth with only male or female options and sets rules barring youths of opposite sexes at birth from sharing bathrooms, showers, or tents, according to Hegseth.
- The Pentagon will reassess the organization’s progress in six months and has warned it will withdraw in‑kind support if Scouting America fails to make substantial progress.
- Scouting America said it engaged for months with department leaders to align with Executive Order 14173, will waive registration fees for children of active‑duty, Guard and Reserve families, and will keep its new name while continuing to serve girls.
- Following the announcement, Scouting America stated it will continue to welcome all youth, a position that appears in tension with Hegseth’s description of the sex‑at‑birth membership policy.