Any organization that does business with the Pentagon is subject to certain restrictions. Previously these were fairly commonsense, like, don't use a contractor that is a subsidiary of a hostile foreign power, things like that; but the current regime has made it so that anyone who does anything with the Pentagon has to conform ideologically.
The brave thing to do would be for Scouting America to sever ties with the military, but at this point those ties go pretty deep. Scouting should return to its roots as an army for peace - a way to give young people the camaraderie and skill-building of the military without training them to be violent killers.
I loved my time in the scouts, but the part I loved the least was the Bush-era closeness with the national security state. Even at the time as a kid, I felt uneasy when our troop visited Fort Dix for a weekend of camping. I am very grateful for the leader in the troop who, after the fact, emphasized to us that we were not training to be soldiers, that our organization was meant to be different. Yet the Pentagon undeniably treats Scouting like a recruiting pipeline, and plenty of people within Scouting are more than happy to oblige.
I was a Boy Scout for a few years. I think it lasted about 3 years. It had a structure like the military, with a number of kids assigned to each group in Cub Scouts, which are called Dens. I don't remember the name for the equivalent in Boy Scouts. Other than that, for my group or troop, it was about learning survival skills in the woods, such as fire building, different knot-tying techniques, arts and crafts, swimming, and camping. I did go to a rifle range, too. I started to hate it because the adults ran the show. I was young. It has many benefits for all kids. This guy is a putz. Someone better sue this MF personally, as well as DoD and the scouts.
"but I didn't know much about their ties to the military. This is disgusting." <-- Only if you think the military is disgusting, or, only if you are talking about this announcement.
Because of how much material support the DoD gives Scouting. They are relatively dependent on it.
For example, the Corps of Engineers practices by maintaining a lot of Council's Summer Camp infrastructure, like maintaining dams, ponds, lakes for free. Also permitting camping on DoD land.
This is so heartbreaking. My scout troop was relatively progressive and tolerated queerness among the boys* back when official policies were more conservative. My time in the scouts was very valuable to becoming the person I am today. I hope and pray that council and local troop leadership has the wherewithal to spare their scouts of this humiliation.
As an eagle scout I was super pumped when they started being more inclusive years ago. This is terrifying watching how easily they rolled over and complied.
Same. Eagle Scout here, who was actually somewhat traumatized by the organization. I was proud when they modified their practices to align more with their alleged/implied (Christian) ideals. It went a long way toward helping me forgive them for my experiences.
Here’s where Scouting becomes the New Hitler Youth! They are the next generation of Micro-Penis Gestapo This Fascist Government is GROOMING! The people in Nazi Germany did the same thing with their Boy Scouts! Turned into Nazi Fanatics by indoctrinating children into monsters! This cannot and must not happen again!! The government of this country is Our Enemy! No one should pay their taxes unless they step down immediately! DOWN WITH THE TYRANNY OF TRUMPISM! FDT!FJDV!AND FUCK THIS FASCIST GOVERNMENT! 👿🔥🖕🏽
As a trans guy- and just as a human- and i'm not speaking for all trans guys for sure, but I just want to gently say, with all the respect and friendliness in the world, because i know tone is hard to convey- using "micro-penis" as an insult, is, maybe, not, like, soooo great here? or anywhere really, but especially here?
What an absolutely atrocious and disgraceful action on the part of the administration (not surprising) and Scouting America (shameful and pathetic). This timeline sucks!🤬
These are merely children seeking to learn skills, build self confidence and grow as humans. Not to mention be with their friends. Cruelty for cruelty’s sake.
It is profoundly disappointing to see organizations like Scouting America capitulate to political pressure by aligning themselves with the anti-transgender demands emerging from Donald Trump’s orbit and his ideological allies.
Institutions that once claimed to stand for character, integrity, and courage are now bending the knee to fear-based politics.
Let us be absolutely clear: forcing transgender youth to “go by their birth sex” does not change who they are.
It does not erase their identity. It does not make them disappear. What it does is compound stigma, increase isolation, and heighten the very real risks of anxiety, depression, and self-harm that medical and psychological professionals have warned about for years.
The notion that identity can be legislated out of existence is not only scientifically illiterate—it is morally bankrupt.
Every major medical body recognizes that affirming transgender youth, not erasing them, leads to better mental health outcomes.
Policies that demand denial instead of dignity are not neutral compromises; they are active harm.
If organizations like Scouting America believe that sacrificing a small and vulnerable minority will protect them politically, they are gravely mistaken.
History is not kind to institutions that abandon children in order to appease power.
Character is not proven by compliance—it is proven by standing firm when it matters most.
Transgender youth will not vanish because a policy says they should pretend to be someone they are not.
They will only suffer more. And the responsibility for that suffering will rest squarely with those who chose cowardice over compassion.
WHEN WILL WE LEAN THAT WE MUST STAND UP TO THIS BULLIE AND HIS STRONG ARM TACTICS -GIVING IN IS WRONG
I'm not saying this shouldn't be reported. But the note that the policy hasn't been confirmed yet shouldn't be at the very bottom of the article. Even The Advocate put it in their third paragraph, right at the top of the article. The Lead and the Context should be up front, but don't bury context because that makes everyone panic before it's actually real.
It'd be like saying "Dave said your loved ones were hurt in an accident tonight. We're still waiting for confirmation there was an accident.", but nobody trusts anything Dave says, and there's 300 words inbetween those two sentences.
I cannot speak to Scouts of America, but the Girl Scouts have been a welcoming and inclusive organization for years. I was a leader decades ago and we were open to all - we did have some boys join, for insurance purposes usually, to attend events with a mom leader who brought boys along, but they were included, not sidelined. Men have always been able to be leaders, but not the primary, or "01" leader. The mission is building strong girls and female leadership is important. I do hope this has continued and I encourage you to check out Girl Scouting as an alternative. Yes, it's called girl scouting, and boys, whether cis or trans, will potentially have issues with the name, but the program is designed to be inclusive.
My question exactly. Why does the Department of “War” think that it has the power to dictate to Scouting America how its members should be treated?
This is just so much BS, another distracting play by the administration to start an argument over nothing.
And really, who is Pete Hegseth: an idiot who doesn’t understand the need for secure communication and thinks that Scouting America is just another branch of the military that must obey his orders?
Aren't the Scouts a private organization? Why does Kegsbreath get to determine its policies?
Any organization that does business with the Pentagon is subject to certain restrictions. Previously these were fairly commonsense, like, don't use a contractor that is a subsidiary of a hostile foreign power, things like that; but the current regime has made it so that anyone who does anything with the Pentagon has to conform ideologically.
The brave thing to do would be for Scouting America to sever ties with the military, but at this point those ties go pretty deep. Scouting should return to its roots as an army for peace - a way to give young people the camaraderie and skill-building of the military without training them to be violent killers.
I've never been a Scout, and my kiddo dabbled in Cub Scouts a bit, but I didn't know much about their ties to the military. This is disgusting.
I loved my time in the scouts, but the part I loved the least was the Bush-era closeness with the national security state. Even at the time as a kid, I felt uneasy when our troop visited Fort Dix for a weekend of camping. I am very grateful for the leader in the troop who, after the fact, emphasized to us that we were not training to be soldiers, that our organization was meant to be different. Yet the Pentagon undeniably treats Scouting like a recruiting pipeline, and plenty of people within Scouting are more than happy to oblige.
I was a Boy Scout for a few years. I think it lasted about 3 years. It had a structure like the military, with a number of kids assigned to each group in Cub Scouts, which are called Dens. I don't remember the name for the equivalent in Boy Scouts. Other than that, for my group or troop, it was about learning survival skills in the woods, such as fire building, different knot-tying techniques, arts and crafts, swimming, and camping. I did go to a rifle range, too. I started to hate it because the adults ran the show. I was young. It has many benefits for all kids. This guy is a putz. Someone better sue this MF personally, as well as DoD and the scouts.
"but I didn't know much about their ties to the military. This is disgusting." <-- Only if you think the military is disgusting, or, only if you are talking about this announcement.
I was referring to the announcement.
Gotcha!
yeah, not sure who he is to be "announcing" anything
Because of how much material support the DoD gives Scouting. They are relatively dependent on it.
For example, the Corps of Engineers practices by maintaining a lot of Council's Summer Camp infrastructure, like maintaining dams, ponds, lakes for free. Also permitting camping on DoD land.
I didn't know that. Wow. This is a shame, like all things with this current administration.
Most Councils only have three to five full time professionals, and are run on a shoestring.
Time to start a new scout program for everyone no matter the color of their skin, gender identity or who they love!!!
A program completely separate from this vile government who understands nothing of humanity.
This is so heartbreaking. My scout troop was relatively progressive and tolerated queerness among the boys* back when official policies were more conservative. My time in the scouts was very valuable to becoming the person I am today. I hope and pray that council and local troop leadership has the wherewithal to spare their scouts of this humiliation.
Doesn’t this miscreant have anything better to do?
Miscreant, a great word to define Kegsbreath!
Misdemeanant, felon . . .
Drunk.
As an eagle scout I was super pumped when they started being more inclusive years ago. This is terrifying watching how easily they rolled over and complied.
They have learned lessons from na*i germany but, unfortunatly, it was the wrong lesson. Capitulation to the regime wasn't the right lesson to learn.
Same. Eagle Scout here, who was actually somewhat traumatized by the organization. I was proud when they modified their practices to align more with their alleged/implied (Christian) ideals. It went a long way toward helping me forgive them for my experiences.
Oppression compresses life, but it has never eliminated gender variance.
transgender existence is stronger than the force trying to suppress it.
"They tried to bury us, they didn't know we were seeds"?
-Dinos Christianopoulos-
Here’s where Scouting becomes the New Hitler Youth! They are the next generation of Micro-Penis Gestapo This Fascist Government is GROOMING! The people in Nazi Germany did the same thing with their Boy Scouts! Turned into Nazi Fanatics by indoctrinating children into monsters! This cannot and must not happen again!! The government of this country is Our Enemy! No one should pay their taxes unless they step down immediately! DOWN WITH THE TYRANNY OF TRUMPISM! FDT!FJDV!AND FUCK THIS FASCIST GOVERNMENT! 👿🔥🖕🏽
As a trans guy- and just as a human- and i'm not speaking for all trans guys for sure, but I just want to gently say, with all the respect and friendliness in the world, because i know tone is hard to convey- using "micro-penis" as an insult, is, maybe, not, like, soooo great here? or anywhere really, but especially here?
Yes, my micro-penis tried to do a flip flop. But I certainly agree with the sentiment that the writer demonstrates.
🤬🤬🤬 fuck him!
Came her to say this😡
What an absolutely atrocious and disgraceful action on the part of the administration (not surprising) and Scouting America (shameful and pathetic). This timeline sucks!🤬
These are merely children seeking to learn skills, build self confidence and grow as humans. Not to mention be with their friends. Cruelty for cruelty’s sake.
It is profoundly disappointing to see organizations like Scouting America capitulate to political pressure by aligning themselves with the anti-transgender demands emerging from Donald Trump’s orbit and his ideological allies.
Institutions that once claimed to stand for character, integrity, and courage are now bending the knee to fear-based politics.
Let us be absolutely clear: forcing transgender youth to “go by their birth sex” does not change who they are.
It does not erase their identity. It does not make them disappear. What it does is compound stigma, increase isolation, and heighten the very real risks of anxiety, depression, and self-harm that medical and psychological professionals have warned about for years.
The notion that identity can be legislated out of existence is not only scientifically illiterate—it is morally bankrupt.
Every major medical body recognizes that affirming transgender youth, not erasing them, leads to better mental health outcomes.
Policies that demand denial instead of dignity are not neutral compromises; they are active harm.
If organizations like Scouting America believe that sacrificing a small and vulnerable minority will protect them politically, they are gravely mistaken.
History is not kind to institutions that abandon children in order to appease power.
Character is not proven by compliance—it is proven by standing firm when it matters most.
Transgender youth will not vanish because a policy says they should pretend to be someone they are not.
They will only suffer more. And the responsibility for that suffering will rest squarely with those who chose cowardice over compassion.
WHEN WILL WE LEAN THAT WE MUST STAND UP TO THIS BULLIE AND HIS STRONG ARM TACTICS -GIVING IN IS WRONG
Outstanding reply!
He wants to de-emphasize TRUSTWORTHY, LOYAL, HELPFUL, FRIENDLY, and CHEERFUL and put the emphasis on his notion of REVERENT with a side of OBEDIENT.
I don’t think revenant is the correct word here. Maybe switch out with COMPLICIT.
It's hard to find the words to express how I'm feeling, so I'll just say thank you to Erin for her incredible reporting and voice.
So we don't even know if this is actually happening? Just Kegsbreath shooting his mouth off so far?
Shouldn't we wait for news to become real before we act like it is?
The time to raise the alarm is 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 people start getting hurt.
I'm not saying this shouldn't be reported. But the note that the policy hasn't been confirmed yet shouldn't be at the very bottom of the article. Even The Advocate put it in their third paragraph, right at the top of the article. The Lead and the Context should be up front, but don't bury context because that makes everyone panic before it's actually real.
It'd be like saying "Dave said your loved ones were hurt in an accident tonight. We're still waiting for confirmation there was an accident.", but nobody trusts anything Dave says, and there's 300 words inbetween those two sentences.
I cannot speak to Scouts of America, but the Girl Scouts have been a welcoming and inclusive organization for years. I was a leader decades ago and we were open to all - we did have some boys join, for insurance purposes usually, to attend events with a mom leader who brought boys along, but they were included, not sidelined. Men have always been able to be leaders, but not the primary, or "01" leader. The mission is building strong girls and female leadership is important. I do hope this has continued and I encourage you to check out Girl Scouting as an alternative. Yes, it's called girl scouting, and boys, whether cis or trans, will potentially have issues with the name, but the program is designed to be inclusive.
Even as a boy in boy scouts I got sexually assaulted. Forcing trans girls to share intimate spaces with boys is just going to be a rape factory
My question exactly. Why does the Department of “War” think that it has the power to dictate to Scouting America how its members should be treated?
This is just so much BS, another distracting play by the administration to start an argument over nothing.
And really, who is Pete Hegseth: an idiot who doesn’t understand the need for secure communication and thinks that Scouting America is just another branch of the military that must obey his orders?
Get stuffed you bigot!
Another pathetic act of cruelty by pathetic fragile men.