Hegseth Forces Scouts to End DEI Policy and Ban Transgender Individuals

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth finalized a controversial settlement with the organization Scouting America, forcing it to return to traditional values at the expense of its previous inclusivity policies. The organization, formerly known as the Boy Scouts of America, was backed into a corner after threats to cut off crucial logistical support, including access to military bases, air transport, and medical personnel during nationwide jamborees. The most drastic point of the agreement is the reinstatement of a total membership ban for transgender children and the abandonment of DEI programs. Hegseth described this change as a 'return to basics,' arguing that scouting should build character and patriotism, not serve as a field for social experiments. Parallel to the offensive against the scouts, the Secretary of Defense announced a freeze on cooperation with elite universities such as Yale, Columbia, and MIT. This decision means withdrawing active-duty officers from postgraduate and scholarship programs at these institutions. Hegseth argues that these campuses have become a hostile environment for the military, promoting ideologies that undermine national security. U.S. government cooperation with the scouts is based on a 1916 federal law that granted the organization the right to support from the armed forces in exchange for promoting physical fitness and civic values among youth. The Pentagon's actions have met with fierce opposition from civil rights organizations and parts of the academic community. Critics point out that excluding transgender children targets the most vulnerable group of young people and sets the organization back a decade in its development. Meanwhile, conservative circles are cheering, seeing this as a success for the Donald Trump administration in the fight against so-called woke ideology. For the Scouting America organization itself, the concessions are the price for financial survival, as without the free support of the army, the costs of organizing camps would become unaffordable for most families. „No more radical gender ideology or DEI at the Scouts. Going back to basics. God, Country, and Scouting.” — Pete Hegseth This situation marks a new course in relations between the federal administration and non-governmental organizations, where grants and technical support become instruments for enforcing ideological changes. The scouts' decision to capitulate to the Pentagon's demands may set a precedent for other youth organizations using state property.