Leaked document: War Department cutting ties with ‘genderless’ Scouts

The Pentagon is severing its ties with Scouting America, formerly the Boy Scouts, over its policy that allowed girls to join the traditionally boy-centered activity, according to documents reviewed by NPR Tuesday.

According to an NPR review of leaked documents, a draft memo on the split that War Secretary Pete Hegseth is preparing for Congress says the Boy Scouts are no longer a meritocracy, and criticizes the organization’s embrace of diversity, equity, and inclusion principles. In draft documents reviewed by NPR, the Scouts are described as a “genderless” organization and as an attack on “boy-friendly spaces” over the decision in 2019 to allow girls into the traditionally male-exclusive program. The Pentagon has partnered with the organization since 1937, but Hegseth said the split is due in part to the group “once endorsed by President Theodore Roosevelt no longer supports the future of American boys.”

“The Department will not comment on leaked documents that we cannot authenticate and that may be pre-decisional,” a War Department official told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The Boy Scouts in their original congressional charter in 1916 were envisioned as an organization that promoted “patriotism, courage, self-reliance, and kindred virtues” in young boys.

The memo would bar Scouting America from meeting at U.S. military installations and rescind aid for the group’s National Jamboree, where 20,000 scouts meet at a remote site in West Virginia. However, one source told NPR that the documents have yet to be sent to Congress.

While Congress requires the Pentagon to support Scouting America’s Jamboree, it can revoke this support if the organization is deemed to be “detrimental to national security,” according to NPR.

“We are surprised and disappointed by today’s news about the potential policy change,” Scouting America told the DCNF in a statement. “Scouts honor and look up to our service men and women. We share the same dedication to God and country. Scouts proudly wear the American flag on their sleeves, and many go on to trade their Scout uniforms for the uniforms of our nation’s armed forces.”

“We remain focused on delivering a program to all youth that helps them grow into citizens of character. While we are disappointed in the potential policy change, we are as committed as ever to America’s youth, their families, and the value of our program,” the statement continued.

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