Hegseth announces Scouting America will adopt birth-sex membership rules at Pentagon's urging

After the Pentagon said on Feb. 6, 2026 that it was reviewing its relationship with Scouting America and called its DEI efforts unacceptable, Hegseth announced on Feb. 27 that the group would change policies at the Pentagon's urging. Members would be classified by sex at birth rather than gender identity, applications would list only male and female matching the birth certificate, and youths of different birth sexes could not share bathrooms or tents. The Pentagon said it would review compliance over six months and end its support if the group did not comply.