‘Boy Scouts’ Is Now Gender-Neutral

Kurt Mahlburg

Kurt Mahlburg is a writer and author, and an emerging Australian voice on culture and the Christian faith. He has a passion for both the philosophical and the personal, drawing on his background as a graduate architect, a primary school teacher, a missionary, and a young adult pastor.

Boy Scouts of America announced this week that it will rebrand itself as ‘Scouting America’ in a bid to reflect “the organisation’s ongoing commitment to welcome every youth and family in America to experience the benefits of Scouting”.

“Though our name will be new, our mission remains unchanged: we are committed to teaching young people to be Prepared. For Life,” the group’s president and CEO Roger Krone said in a press release.

“This will be a simple but very important evolution as we seek to ensure that everyone feels welcome in Scouting.”

The change will come into effect in February next year to coincide with the group’s 115th anniversary.

So inclusive

Boy Scouts of America’s gender-neutral rebrand is just the latest move in a decade of woke policy posturing by the organisation.

As feared at the time by Mercator, between 2013 and 2015, Boy Scouts leadership ultimately caved to corporate pressure and allowed self-identified homosexuals to register as members of the group and openly gay men to serve as leaders. Then, in 2017, they swung wide the doors to girls who identify as transgender boys and, soon after, to all girls in general.

Understandably, the organisation has copped plenty of criticism for its latest move, evidenced by the fact that BSA closed the comments section on its Twitter post announcing the change after receiving blanket condemnation from members of the public.

Responding to critics, CEO Roger Klone explained in a video, “Membership is at historic lows. Part of my job is to reduce all the barriers I possibly can for people to accept us as an organisation and to join.”

He added that the gender-neutral rebrand will hopefully send a “really strong message to everyone in America that they can come to this program, they can bring their authentic self, they can be who they are, and they will be welcomed here.”

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Logical conclusions

But let’s play devil’s advocate. Let’s say reducing all barriers to membership and including everyone is as important as Mr Klone suggests.

Why only include people who like scouting? Why keep in place barriers that exclude Americans who disdain the outdoors and scoff at values like self-reliance, teamwork and moral development?

In fact, why keep ‘America’ in the organisation’s title? Surely this is sending the wrong message to the millions of illegal immigrants imported by the current president, and all the rioting college students who believe America is the devil incarnate. It’s unlikely they’ll feel comfortable bringing their authentic selves to such a patriotic-sounding group.

Absurd as it all sounds, here lies exposed the Achilles’ heel of wokeness. By welcoming everyone into the building, you collapse it.

Or to quote Dash from the 2004 film The Incredibles, who was responding to his mother’s half-hearted claim that “everyone is special” – “that’s just another way of saying no one is”.

Here’s a thought. Maybe the last decade’s worth of hyper-inclusion explains why Boy Scouts of America’s membership is at historic lows.

Though never a scout, I was a boy once. I remember the difference between playing in mixed company and adventuring just with other boys. Both have their place, but they are qualitatively different. As an all-male organisation, BSA had an edge on most competition – an edge they have since abandoned in their giddy pursuit of woke brownie points.

Call it a paradox, but sometimes addition equals subtraction, inclusion creates exclusion, and kindness kills.

Can Boy Scouts of America recover its adventurous, masculine heart? Or is it neutered for good? I guess we’ll find out in February.

What do you think of the incessant push for inclusivity? Leave your comments below.