The Boy Scouts of America announced Wednesday that it would change the name of its iconic program from Boy Scouts to Scouts BSA as the organization begins to welcome girls into its ranks.
Last year, the BSA announced its historic decision to accept girls into its Boy Scouts program for 11- to 17-year-olds. The decision sparked strong reactions from people, and especially from the Girl Scouts of the USA, who believed it was a "potentially bad and dangerous idea" for the BSA to include girls. The Girl Scouts accused the BSA of trying to bolster its declining membership by welcoming girls into the program.
On Wednesday, BSA’s chief scout executive Michael Surbaugh announced that the organization's flagship program — simply known as Boy Scouts — would change its name for the first time in 108 years.
“Starting in February 2019, the name of the older youth program will be ‘Scouts BSA,’ and the name of our iconic organization will continue to be Boy Scouts of America," Surbaugh said. The Cub Scouts — its program for 7- to 10-year-olds — will retain its name.
The Girls Scouts of the USA did not directly address the name change but provided a statement saying, "We proudly own the Girl in Girl Scouts."
The name change sparked strong reactions, mostly from conservatives who, as one commentator said, saw it as boys not being "allowed to have any of their own spaces."
We learn two things from the self-destruction of the Boy Scouts organization: 1) The Left will eat you alive if you compromise with them. 2) Boys are not allowed to have any of their own spaces in this ridiculous culture we've made for ourselves.
Matt Walsh, a right-wing blogger, ranted about the decision saying he wouldn't let his son anywhere near the "Scouts" as he didn't want him to grow into a "whimpering, pathetic, effeminate weakling."
I won't let my son anywhere near the "Scouts." I want him to grow into a man, not a whimpering, pathetic, effeminate weakling, which is all the Scouts organization embodies at this point. What a disgrace and an embarrassment.
NRA spokesperson Dana Loesch also commented on the decision.
No more Boy Scouts. https://t.co/3bA627OB9Z
She retweeted another person who appeared to mock the name change.
Are we changing them from Girl Scout cookies to people scout cookies next
Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro called the decision to rename the Boy Scouts "deeply sad."
There's something deeply sad about a society that presses for the Boy Scouts to stop being the Boy Scouts. And there is something hilarious about the Girl Scouts now complaining that the no-longer Boy Scouts will accept girls. https://t.co/vbtcxGhcBJ
Pro-Trump activist Jack Posobiec also had some thoughts.
So, Boy Scouts is admitting girls and won’t be called Boy Scouts anymore. How soon before they change the name to People Scouts?
A conservative political pundit declared that the "war on masculinity" had killed the Boy Scouts.
The war on masculinity has claimed another victim. The Boy Scouts are dead after 108 years because they believe men are evil and manhood is a mental disorder. #ScoutsBSA.
Other conservatives on social media also voiced their disapproval, blaming the BSA's decision to change the name on liberals and political correctness.
Lunatic leftists have now ruined the "Boy Scouts" because the word boy. No doubt they'll be called... "The gender neutral, non-binary, gay toaster scouts" now. Who the hell at the Boy Scouts is bending for this insanity?
"I thought the program was to encourage turning boy to men," one person said in a Twitter rant, which concluded that the Boy Scouts "wanted to do away with masculinity."
We've had "Boy Scouts" and "Girl Scouts" for years in USA and no one had a problem. Now we have had to drop the "Boy" & accept every gender they've come up with into the program. I thought the program was to encourage turning boy to men. What in the world is this world coming to?
"Make Boy Scouts Boys Again," one Trump supporter said.
Make Boy Scouts Boys Again! The “Boy Scouts” are now dropping their name after 108 years due to complaints about them not being inclusive to girls... We are seeing yet another institution fall to liberal insanity and political correctness. #MAGA #BoyScouts
Another critic said that the move would cause "identity issues" for girls and boys.
The point of of the Boy Scouts was to teach boys how to become good men. It's a sacred institution just like the girl scouts. Wait till johnny wants to join a girlscouts slumber party. It's just more mixed messages for boys and girls making identity issues period!
Others on Twitter mocked the conservative outcry against the name change.
The people who call liberals snowflakes are crying about makeup jokes and the removal of the word “boy” from Boy Scouts.
One person pointed out that the BSA's decision to accept girls and change its name to Scouts BSA was "simply a business decision" to bolster its declining membership.
All these conservative snowflakes getting outraged about the Boy Scouts accepting girls and changing its name to Scouts BSA don’t realize that it’s simply a business decision. With declining membership, they need the girls or it would be called Bankrupt Scouts.
Some made fun of "grown ass men crying about the word boy being taken out of Boy Scouts."
Nothing says ‘I’m a free speech loving, take no shit, say what I want, patriotic american’ than a bunch of GROWN ASS MEN, crying about the word boy being taken out of Boy Scouts. Lol.
However, conservatives continued to express their anger.
The Boy Scouts have dropped the word "Boy" from their name. They also introduced their new uniforms.
The Boy Scouts are changing their name to Scouts BSA and accepting girls. But Girl Scouts will still exist. WTF is wrong with this country. https://t.co/1bTfgdFXXd
Now that the Boy Scouts are now Scouts BSA, which will be a new merit badge?
The Boy Scouts to drop the name 'Boy' from Boy Scouts... What are they going to replace it with, Transgender Scouts? How about Everybody Gets a Trophy Scouts...? I have a good one! What about, I Identify as a Pink Stuffed Animal that is both Male and Female Scouts...? Idiots!