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FEATURING MIKE DE SOCIO - After more than a century of existence, some of it fraught by serious controversy, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) in May 2024 announced it would rename itself to “Scouting America” in order to be more inclusive. The newly named 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, there was found to be rampant sexual abuse of children in the organization, with thousands of abuse cases swept under the rug until the organization faced a legal challenges and a massive lawsuit. And, the Scouts also had a history of racist exclusion. 

In light of the aggressive right wing conservative attacks on the LGBTQ+ community, the Boy Scouts’ rebranding effort seems courageous. But, according to Mike De Socio, author of Morally Straight: How the Fight for LGBTQ+ Inclusion Changed the Boy Scouts—and America it’s more complicated than that.

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