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User's avatar
ES's avatar

.... There's. There's so much going on with this. They shouldn't cave in, and also, WHAT THE FUCK IS A CHILD'S RECREATIONAL GROUP DOING ASSOCIATING WITH THE DOD?

Jaimie Hileman's avatar

The Boy Scouts have always been closely associated with the US military. Until the mid 1980s the uniforms even looked a LOT like the interwar infantry uniforms of the US Army. The Scouts were allowed to use base housing and facilities for lodging, camping, and events. The DoD has provided massive logistical aid for large events like the World Jamboree and the National Jamboree and for the Scouting Adventure Bases, such as Seabase in Florida, Philmont in New Mexico, Summers Canoe Base in Minnesota (Thousand Lakes) and the others, I'm not sure which are still open as many have closed. They have provided transportation, water trucks, portable shower and sanitation facilities and even field first aid and mobile mess units.

When I was in the Scouts we would travel two to three weeks in the summers for only about $300 for the whole trip. That was only possible because we stayed at bases like Fort Carson, Fort AP Hill (since renamed and renamed again) cutting costs by using their barracks and mess halls when not camping. Yes, I'm one of those Trans women who was an Eagle Scout and one of over fifty who surrendered our Eagle awards in 2015 in protest with another 1000+ Eagle Scouts rejecting the BSA decision to maintain the ban on LGBTQ scouts and leaders. Trans people over-index for high performance in scouting just like we over-index for military service, serving at a rate 2.5 times the national average.

In return the military got to make a profound impact on young and impressionable minds for a hundred years from the early 1900's to the 2000 teens and a shot at recruiting the top talent from scouting for officer training. Until Hegseth Eagle Scouts were routinely solicited for various Pentagon leadership programs. I could have gone on scholarship to West Point, Annapolis, or the AFA, but as a closeted Trans woman that was just not going to work for ME, lol, even though I scored the highest on the ASVAB from my state that year and was in the top 1% of the ACT and SAT. The Navy really wanted me because of language skills.

But they didn't REALLY want me, since I knew I was so queer I made a $3.00 bill nervous. Shame our country can't recruit some of the best and brightest because of gender and sexuality. Hopefully we'll only have to compete against equally bigoted, visionless, and limited militaries.

Glen's avatar

It's a funnel program

Mike Gelt's avatar

Scouting America has had varied history some good and some not - but with their capitulation to the trump policies and failure to truly promote all the youth of our country I have come to the conclusion that I no longer care about their survival unless they change their attitude and care for all of our youth

Jaimie Hileman's avatar

Same. I abandoned hope for the BSA a decade ago. But the GSA has gone entirely the other way and embraced inclusion and egalitarianism.

Talia Perkins's avatar

"but with their capitulation to the trump policies"

Where did you get the idea they did that? This is about Hegseth throwing a hissy fit because the BSA has not done that yet! The BSA in the Scouting America program ( not for example the Venture program ) began chartering co-ed troops just this recruiting season.

Mike Gelt's avatar

Hegseth trump one in the same

Talia Perkins's avatar

I believe I said nothing to the contrary of that.

Joan the Dork's avatar

Ah, 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 comes the attempt to create a Trumplerjügen. I was wondering when we were gonna get around to that.

Jaimie Hileman's avatar

Don't be surprised but I think Miller keeps a copy of Mein Kampf by his bedside table. He can't get an erection I hear unless he's wearing his replica SS Oberstürmbahnführer uniform. Miller is guiding Trump II policy right out of Reich history.

And we know how THAT ended.

Glen's avatar

Can we just skip to the end

Melissa's avatar

Decades ago, when I was another person, Boy Scouts were deeply 'God and Country' focused. For me, the organization has always been suspect. Many of their troops and chapters are housed within evangelical churches whose influence and uber patriarchy further influences the actions of the kids enrolled.

But, yeah, what I'm reading here is the dept. of WAR! stating that they will withdraw their sponsorship of a major event unless.... Being the 800 pound gorilla bully to get their own way.

But then, who the F wants this regime's money and mafia-esque tactics anyway?

Talia Perkins's avatar

"Many of their troops and chapters are housed within evangelical churches"

And equally many are chartered by far more mainstream Methodist or Presbyterian churches or by local small businesses.

"what I'm reading here is the dept. of WAR! stating that they will withdraw their sponsorship of a major event unless.... Being the 800 pound gorilla bully to get their own way."

You're right about that.

Jendi's avatar

Mike DeSocio's "Morally Straight" is a good recent book about the history of activism to make the Boy Scouts LGBTQ-inclusive. Sure hope they don't backtrack now. I sent an email to the contact on the scouting website.

rc4797's avatar

Based on what's in the Epstein files it does not surprise me at all that the Trump administration has a great interest in the genitalia of children in Scouting America.

Marta's avatar

I hope the Scouts make the right decision. Scouting can be a safe place for the LGBT community, I’ve seen it firsthand. It’s difficult to keep up with the sad state of this administration, thanks for always keeping us informed.

Ann Journey's avatar

I just went through the name change process to update my Eagle Scout records. They issued and sent me a new certificate with my new name on it. I will send that right back if Scouting America rolls back their inclusive policies.

Joanne's avatar
5hEdited

Yeah, 'cause we sure wouldn't want those girls bringing their cooties to our fine upstanding scouts. Besides, troop leaders have always had a much larger affinity for the boys, I'm told. Wink, wink. Good 'ole Pete is such a role model for all those fine young future brown shirts. Y'all come on down to the book burning hear?

Anne's avatar

Fuck the Department of Defense. Lets do a fund raiser.

Bill Flarsheim's avatar

I was a scout in the 70s and a scout leader in the 00s. As a leader, it was apparent that 95% of the adults had nothing but what was in the best interest of the boys in their unit. One in 20 leaders was too hung ho, too right wing, too evangelical, or too anti-LGBT, but it was a small minority. The anti-LGBT stance of the national organization at the time bothered both me and my son, but our troop was generally accepting. In spite of discrimination at the national level, Boy Scouts was the best organization for my son and much more accepting of his personality than for example, public school.

Since my time in scouting, the organization reversed it’s exclusion of LGBT+ people and parted ways with the Mormon Church as a result. I’m glad the organization evolved, and I hope it can resist pressure from this administration to go back to outdated practices of exclusion.

Talia Perkins's avatar

"I was a ... practices of exclusion."

It is a spot of pride for Scouting they never nationally adopted racially segregated Scouting -- local units did it, the national org did not and had no problem with the few integrated troops.

I hope with you they give Hegseth's demands the cold shoulder as they should.

Devin's avatar

Next they’ll force it to be renamed Trump Youth and every maggot you know will act like they’ve never heard of Hitler Youth and act like it’s all another dem hoax. As if we ain’t seen ALL this bs before

Talia Perkins's avatar

And the Social Conservatives are cluelessly setting what they might claim is the best of themselves (not they are right about that) on fire. It may warm them for a time.