Pentagon forces Scouts to out trans kids, calls it “returning to values”

When the federal government decides that the real threat to national security is a trans teenager earning a merit badge, you’re not restoring tradition. You’re just teaching bigotry.

Secretary of Defense “Whiskey Pete” Hegseth proudly announced that Scouting America will forcibly out and segregate transgender scouts. This reverses nearly a decade of inclusion. Trans kids who’ve camped, earned badges, and built friendships in troops that match their identities will now be reassigned based on birth certificates, because apparently, bureaucratic humiliation builds character.

“After 2012, however, the Boy Scouts lost their way and a once great organization became gravely wounded. Diversity, equity, and inclusion, DEI, crept in. The name was changed to Scouting America. Girls were accepted. The focus on God as the ruler of the universe was watered down to include openness to humanism and earth-centered pagan religions… They even welcomed the destructive myth of gender fluidity and transgenderism to infiltrate their membership,” Hegseth said in a video posted to Twitter.

He then announced major changes at the organization, including new anti-transgender policies. “Scouting America has agreed to comply immediately with the provisions of executive order 14173. This includes reviewing and replacing politicized, divisive, and discriminatory language throughout the organization, programs, and all publications. No more DEI. Zero,” Hegseth said. “The Citizen in Society merit badge that encouraged scouts to explore diversity, equity, inclusion, and identity… that badge has been discontinued. Third, Scouting America will modify its policy to make clear that membership will be based solely on biological sex at birth and not gender identity. That means that the application, any application, will have only two sex designations, male and female, and the application must match the applicant’s birth certificate. Scouting will also make clear that biological boys and girls will not be allowed to occupy or share intimate spaces together, toilets, showers, tents, anywhere like that.”

He closed by saying that he wished Scouting America would return to not allowing girls in the program. “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.”

Erin in the Morning

Wanting to go back in time rarely works out. Having been a scout, I can tell you that you can learn both the best and the worst behaviors inside a “Troop.” Moving from the BSA to “Scouting America” was a positive move, and inclusion makes for stronger scouts with a better understanding of the world around them. That Scouting America caved to Hegseth to maintain a relationship with the armed services is a mistake.

When the federal government decides that the real threat to national security is a trans teenager earning a merit badge, you’re not restoring tradition. You’re just teaching bigotry.