Scouting America Received Threat From Pentagon Over 'DEI'
Scouting America, formerly the Boy Scouts of America, this week received its latest threat from the U.S. Defense Department. It came in the form of an X post by Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell, who threatened to cut ties with the group, reiterating the department’s “zero tolerance policy” for “DEI.”
“As a result, over the past several months, the Department of War has been reviewing its relationship with Scouting America—formerly known as the Boy Scouts of America,” he wrote of the partnership and financial assistance between the military and the scouts. “A great organization, that has — in many ways — lost its way.”
The threat was not a surprise, as it came just a couple of months after Pete Hegseth accused the Scouts of attacking “boy-friendly spaces” and called the organization “genderless” in a draft memo to Congress leaked to NPR.
It’s been a year since the organization changed its name to Scouting America, a way to signal its openness to accepting youth across the gender spectrum.
“Though our name will be new, our mission remains unchanged: We are committed to teaching young people to be Prepared. For Life,” Roger A. Krone, president and chief executive officer of the Boy Scouts of America, had said at the time. “This will be a simple but very important evolution as we seek to ensure that everyone feels welcome in Scouting.”
After the news about Hegseth’s intentions, Krone had said they were “surprised and deeply saddened,” as the “Scouting movement has had a strong relationship with our nation’s military going back more than a century.” This week, while Scouting America did not immediately respond to SheKnows’ request for comment, a spokesperson told the Washington Post, “For nearly 116 years Scouting has stood as a cornerstone of American ideals, good citizenship, service, and adventure for American youth. We are encouraged by tonight’s social media post by the Pentagon, and we look forward to providing more details as we move ahead.”
Parnell’s X post called out the organization for making moves that “run counter to the values of this administration and this Department of War, including an embrace of DEI and other social justice, gender-fluid ideological stances. This is unacceptable.” It also notes that the DoW and Scouting America are nearing “a final agreement” about the partnership.
The Pentagon provides medical and logistical aid to the National Jamboree, which brings about 20,000 scouts to West Virginia, and many U.S. military bases have active Scout programs.
Some moms have been taking to social media to express their anger over the administration’s stance.
“I am alarmed, and frankly angry, about what is happening right now,” Meagan McGovern, Scoutmaster and mother of an Eagle Scout daughter wrote in an open letter to Scouting America that she posted to Facebook on Tuesday.
“Scouting does not belong to the U.S. government,” she continued. “Local troops are run by volunteers… We scrape together money so kids can camp, hike, swim, have adventures, learn leadership, and contribute to their communities. The federal government is now trying to bully Scouting America into excluding kids. Giving in would be a betrayal of everything Scouting claims to teach.”
In the comments, said another mom and troop leader, “Limiting experiences for our kids is sickening.”
Another Facebook post, this one from January, was an open letter to “all the men who think girls don’t belong in Scouting America.” The mom of a Scout wrote, in part: “Girls did not ‘invade’ Scouting. Scouting evolved, as it always has, to better reflect leadership, service, and merit rather than gender.”
All About Scouts, a Facebook group for parents, saw a spirited discussion of the X post, with one mom noting, “One political administration should not change an organization that has endured for over a century.” Added a dad and troop leader, “Allowing other people to come join an amazing organization isn’t DEI, it is sharing an awesome experience with other people.”