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Ties with American Scouting will be severed unless there is a return to 'core values' and a renewed commitment to serving 'God and country'. It's the Pentagon that's going after Scouting America, the good old Boy Scouts, allegedly 'guilty' of giving too much weight to the 'woke' movement and the values of diversity, justice and inclusion.
After Harvard, it's now the turn of one of America's largest and most popular youth organizations to be targeted by the Trump administration.
Convinced that the scouting movement has 'gone off the rails' by promoting inclusion and even admitting LGBTQ+ girls and members, Department of Defense spokesman Sean Parnell warns: collaboration between the US military and the scouts could come to an end.
"Return to God and country immediately," Parnell warned."For years, the leadership of the U.S. Scouting movement has been making decisions that run counter to the values of this administration and the War Department, including the principles of diversity, justice and inclusion. This is unacceptable."
It was after opening participation to girls and changing its name to express greater openness, that the association became one of the main targets of sharp criticism from US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. In November, the Pentagon chief sent a document to Congress, proposing to end support for the Scouts, historically considered an important recruiting channel for the U.S. military. He went on to accuse them of "creating gender confusion" and challenging a "space traditionally reserved for boys". These statements surprised Scouting America and sparked a confrontation with the Department of Defense.
The organization itself has chosen not to harden its tone, pledging to clarify its policies and keep the dialogue open, but the stakes remain high: on the one hand, a vision of patriotism linked to roles and values considered 'traditional', on the other an inclusive reality which, for years, welcomes girls and young people of all identities, with practical implications also for events such as the National Jamboree and for its historic logistical cooperation with the armed forces.
(©The Guardian via GreenMe.it 2026/Managing Editor: Selma Keshkire - The Press Junction/Picture: ©Birucao via Unsplash)