Key Points
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Pentagon says Scouting America will base membership on sex at birth
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Changes include ending Citizenship in Society merit badge
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Defense officials warn support could be reviewed in six months
WASHINGTON, DC. Scouting America is set to implement several policy changes affecting transgender youth and diversity programs following pressure from the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Friday.
In a video posted on social media, Hegseth said the youth organization will require members to register based on their biological sex at birth rather than gender identity. Applications will list only male and female, and the designation must match a birth certificate.
The Pentagon has been reviewing its longstanding relationship with the group, formerly known as the Boy Scouts of America, as part of a broader push by the Trump administration to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across federal partnerships.
What changes are coming
According to defense officials and Scouting America statements, the planned updates include:
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Discontinuing the Citizenship in Society merit badge
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Introducing a new Military Service merit badge
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Waiving registration fees for children of military families
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Updating rules on shared facilities such as tents and bathrooms
Hegseth said the Defense Department will conduct a follow up review within six months and could reconsider military support if the organization fails to comply.
“We hope that doesn’t happen, but it could,” he said.
Scouting America response
In a statement, the Irving, Texas based organization did not directly address the transgender policy but said the changes align with an executive order targeting DEI programs. The group emphasized it will maintain its current name and continue serving more than 200,000 girls in its programs.
Scouting America said the adjustments are intended to strengthen its century long partnership with the U.S. military, noting that scouts historically have been more likely than the general population to serve in uniform.
Long history of policy shifts
The organization has undergone major membership changes over the past decade. It began allowing gay youth in 2013, ended a ban on gay adult leaders in 2015, and opened boys programs to transgender youth in 2017. Girls were admitted to Cub Scouts in 2018 and to the flagship Scouts BSA program in 2019.
The Pentagon had previously warned the group it could lose logistical and installation support if concerns about DEI policies were not addressed.
So the dispute highlights the growing clash between federal policy shifts and youth organizations that have broadened membership rules in recent years. With military support potentially on the line, Scouting America now faces a critical compliance review in the months ahead.
