Full Breakdown
National Jamboree Cuts Inclusive Spaces Amid Pentagon Pressure
7/31/2026, 7:48:45 PM
Core Changes at the Jamboree
The 10-day National Jamboree in West Virginia, hosting roughly 15,000 scouts, leaders and volunteers, has removed dedicated community tents for LGBTQ+ youth, women, scouts of color and persons with disabilities. Organizers announced the elimination during the event, which concludes this week. Several participants, including an assistant scoutmaster and an Eagle Scout, said they will not attend because the inclusive spaces they had planned to staff were cancelled.
Background: Pentagon Influence and Rebranding
Scouting America, the organization that rebranded from the Boy Scouts of America in 2024 to highlight its growing program for girls, has faced criticism from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who labeled its diversity policies “woke.” In February, the Pentagon and Scouting America reached a six-page agreement that gives the Department of Defense monitoring authority over the organization’s programs. Hegseth later posted a video stating the military would “vigorously review” any changes and could end its century-old logistical support if compliance was not achieved by late August.
Official Statements & Responses
A Pentagon spokesperson referred to Hegseth’s earlier remarks, emphasizing that the department will continue “periodic touchpoints” to ensure the agreement’s terms are met.
Impact on Participants
With the inclusive spaces gone, volunteers like Layla Grace, a transgender assistant scoutmaster, shifted to general service areas covering mental health, food security and education, using personal symbols to signal support for LGBTQ+ scouts. The changes have prompted some scouts to withdraw from the jamboree altogether, highlighting tension between the organization’s historical partnership with the military and its recent efforts to broaden inclusion.
