Scouting America Reinstates Biological Sex Requirement to Secure Pentagon Partnership
Washington D.C., Friday, 27 February 2026.
Facing the loss of critical military logistics, Scouting America agrees to Defense Secretary Hegseth’s terms, mandating biological sex registration and dismantling diversity initiatives to preserve the historic alliance.
Mandating Biological Sex Registration
In a decisive move to preserve its relationship with the U.S. armed forces, Scouting America has agreed to a series of policy reversals dictated by the Pentagon. On Friday, February 27, 2026, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the organization must require members to register using their “biological sex at birth and not gender identity” to maintain federal support [1][2]. This mandate follows a period of heightened tension wherein the Defense Department, under Hegseth’s leadership, characterized the youth organization’s recent modernization efforts—specifically its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives—as “unacceptable” and evidence that the group had “lost its way” [1][2]. The agreement halts, at least temporarily, the Pentagon’s earlier threats to sever ties completely, a move that would have barred troops from meeting on bases and ended support for the National Scout Jamboree [4].
Strategic Concessions and Military Ties
The accord reached between the Irving, Texas-based organization and the Department of Defense involves specific structural changes proposed by Scouting America in January 2026 [1][3]. To align with the administration’s values, the organization will discontinue the “Citizenship in Society” merit badge, dissolve its DEI board committee, and introduce a new “Military Service” merit badge [1][2]. Additionally, Scouting America will waive registration fees for the children of military personnel [2]. These concessions are critical for the organization, which relies on the military for logistical support—a partnership dating back 89 years to the first National Scout Jamboree assistance in 1937 [1]. Currently, approximately 25,000 children of U.S. service members participate in Scouting America programs [4].
Vigorous Review and Probationary Status
While the immediate threat of severance has subsided, Secretary Hegseth emphasized that the Pentagon’s continued support is conditional. He stated that the Department of Defense will “vigorously review” the implementation of these changes over the next six months [2]. Hegseth warned that failure to comply could still result in the termination of support, noting, “We hope that doesn’t happen, but it could” [2]. This probationary period places significant pressure on Scouting America’s leadership, who had previously defended the 2024 rebranding from “Boy Scouts of America” to “Scouting America” as an effort to be more inclusive following the admission of girls to the flagship program in 2019 [1][3].
Political Fallout and Partisan Reactions
The Pentagon’s intervention into the policies of a private youth organization has sparked distinct reactions across the political spectrum. Representative Don Bacon, a Republican from Nebraska and member of the Armed Services Committee, reported receiving complaints from constituents—including ardent supporters of the administration—who felt the Defense Secretary was “picking a fight with the Scouts” when he had “bigger fish to fry” [4][5]. Conversely, Representative Adam Smith, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, criticized Hegseth’s approach as being “hell-bent on driving forward a right-wing cultural revolution that is very divisive” [4][5]. These political maneuvers occur against the backdrop of the upcoming National Scout Jamboree scheduled for this summer in West Virginia, an event drawing 20,000 participants that relies heavily on military aid requested in late 2023 [5].
Membership Trends and Modernization Struggles
The friction with the Pentagon highlights the complex navigational challenges Scouting America faces as it attempts to modernize while retaining traditional support. The organization, which filed for bankruptcy in 2020 due to sexual abuse claims and saw a $2.4 billion plan upheld in 2023 to compensate over 80,000 claimants, has struggled with membership numbers [1][3]. After opening its ranks to gay youth in 2013, gay adult leaders in 2015, and transgender students in 2017, the group saw a slight rebound in 2025 with a gain of approximately 16,000 new scouts, bringing the total to just over 1 million members [1][3]. Despite the organization’s pivot toward inclusivity—evidenced by over 6,000 girls earning the Eagle Scout rank by May 2024—Secretary Hegseth expressed a preference for the group’s original mission, stating, “Ideally I believe the Boy Scouts should go back to being the Boy Scouts… a group that develops boys into men” [2].