Scouting America has agreed to comply with President Donald Trump's executive order targeting diversity, equity and inclusion programs, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Thursday.
Scouting America will require its members to use their "biological sex at birth and not gender identity," Hegseth said in a video posted on X.
He said applications will list only options for male and female and the selection must match the applicant's birth certificate. The group would clarify that youth of opposite sexes assigned at birth cannot share bathrooms, tents or similar spaces, he added.
Hegseth said the Pentagon will "vigorously review" the changes Scouting America has made in six months and will cease its support of the organization if it fails to comply.
"We hope that doesn't happen, but it could," Hegseth said. "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."
Some of the changes mirror what the organization proposed to the Pentagon in January, including discontinuing its Citizenship in Society merit badge, introducing a Military Service merit badge, and waiving registration fees for children of military personnel.
"These, and other changes that Scouting America's leadership committed to [at the Pentagon] 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 said.
In return, the Department of War will allow "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," according to a signed memorandum of understanding for partnership and policy alignment between the Pentagon and Scouting America.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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