Scouting America will alter its policies to maintain support from the US military

Scouting America will amend its policies under Pentagon pressure. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced members must use "biological sex at birth and not gender identity." Changes proposed include discontinuing the Citizenship in Society merit badge and waiving registration fees for military families.

Hegseth emphasized a review of the organization's recent changes, threatening to cut support if it doesn't comply. He expressed the hope that "the Boy Scouts should go back to being the Boy Scouts."

The Pentagon previously criticized Scouting America for diverging from traditional values. The organization has undergone significant changes since allowing gay youth in 2013 and accepting transgender students in 2017.