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Scouting America has eliminated dedicated spaces for LGBTQ+ scouts , girls and scouts of color at its National Jamboree after the organization came under pressure from the Pentagon to scale back diversity initiatives.
The changes at the 10-day gathering in West Virginia, which ends Friday, come after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth threatened to end the military's decades-long partnership with the organization unless it moved away from what he called "woke" policies.
The decision has prompted some scouts and volunteers to skip this year's event, saying the removal of inclusion spaces made the jamboree less welcoming.
"Scouting fundamentally is a safe place for young people to have fun," assistant scoutmaster Samuel Aronson said. "In the absence of these spaces, we're denying all that, both the safety and the fun, to thousands of young people."
About 15,000 scouts, leaders and volunteers are attending this year's National Jamboree, where participants take part in activities including mountain biking, kayaking and leadership programs.
Scouting America, formerly known as the Boy Scouts of America, rebranded in 2024 to emphasize inclusion after expanding membership to girls.
A spokesperson said the organization remains "fully committed to welcoming and serving all youth" but declined to answer questions about why the dedicated community spaces were removed.
The changes follow a February agreement between the Pentagon and Scouting America after Hegseth threatened to withdraw military support.
Earlier this month, gay rights activist James Dale obtained the six-page agreement through a lawsuit seeking its public release.
Dale, who was expelled from the Boy Scouts in the 1990s because he was gay and later challenged the organization in court, accused the Pentagon of pressuring Scouting America.
"They basically have their thumb on the organization, threatening them under constant pressure," he said.
The military has long supported Scouting America through partnerships with local troops and logistical assistance at the National Jamboree.
In February, Hegseth said the Defense Department would "vigorously review" changes made by Scouting America and warned military support could end if the organization failed to comply with the agreement by late August.
Among those disappointed by the changes is John Andrew Segebarth, a 21-year-old Eagle Scout who was elected a national youth officer in 2024.
Segebarth, who is gay, had planned to help staff the LGBTQ+ and Allied Scouts space before it was eliminated.
He said recent national scouting events had included dedicated spaces for LGBTQ+ scouts, girls, scouts of color and people with disabilities.
"Scouting's kind of walking back on its values that they told me they believed in," Segebarth said.
He ultimately decided not to attend this year's jamboree.
Layla Grace, a 21-year-old transgender assistant scoutmaster, also planned to volunteer in the LGBTQ+ space before it was canceled.
She considered staying home but decided to attend so she could support other scouts.
Grace is now volunteering in an area focused on mental health, food security and education while making herself visibly available to LGBTQ+ scouts.
"I am wearing so many rainbows on me," she said. "I am being as loud as I can to do my best to hopefully make up for the lack of community spaces."
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