After more than a century of existence, some of it fraught by serious controversy, the Boy Scouts of America announced in May 2024 it would rename itself to “Scouting America” in order to be more inclusive. The organization faced criticism for years for a 1978 ban on gay and bisexual scouts and leaders. Although it ended that ban in 2014 and 2015, the damage to its reputation was done.
Further, rampant sexual abuse of children was found in the organization, with thousands of abuse cases swept under the rug until the organization faced a legal challenges and a massive lawsuit. The Scouts also had a history of racist exclusion.
In light of the aggressive right-wing attacks on the LGBTQ community, the Boy Scouts’ rebranding effort seems courageous. But according to Mike De Socio, author of the new book Morally Straight: How the Fight for LGBTQ+ Inclusion Changed the Boy Scouts—and America, it’s more complicated than that.
De Socio is an award-winning independent journalist, raised in New Jersey, where he became an Eagle Scout. He spoke with YES! Senior Editor Sonali Kolhatkar on YES! Presents: Rising Up With Sonali about the Scouts’ new chapter.