Regarding the rebrand to Scouting America, the HBO host compared the situation to a satire website, 'It’s such an Onion headline'
Boy Scouts name change follows decade-long identity crisis
Former Scout leader, Jerry Gerlach, and Selby Chipman, an Eagle Scout of the 2021 inaugural female class, reacted to The Boy Scouts of America's name change and the organization's evolution.
Comedian Bill Maher marveled at the move by Scouting America, formerly The Boy Scouts of America (BSA), to change its name in an effort to be more inclusive. The HBO host called it "the kind of thing that gets Trump elected."
"The Boy Scouts of America cannot be called Boy Scouts anymore because it's exclusionary," Maher said in a stunned tone on his "Real Time" show, Friday. "Like there isn't a Girl Scouts? Like this is some kind of crime against nature. People are different."
"It’s such an Onion headline," Maher declared, referencing the satire website. "The whole f---ing country is such an Onion headline," he reiterated.
The organization adopted the new name, Scouting America, on its 115th anniversary, "marking a pivotal moment in the organization’s journey," according to a statement released in early February.
Comedian and HBO host Bill Maher criticized Scouting America, formerly The Boy Scouts of America (BSA), for changing its name in an inclusion initiative. (HBO)
"This is the kind of thing that gets Trump elected," Maher said. "I've said it a million times here. Democrats, you lost a crazy contest to a crazy person."
Former Democratic Congressman Tim Ryan asked what America is "giving young boys" and "what kind of structure, what kind of discipline, what kind of education" benefits boys.
"A lot of those projects are really difficult," Ryan said. "They have to achieve. They have to put forth effort. They have to overcome failure. That's part of maturing and becoming a full functioning adult."
"And to take that away is insane," he continued, with Maher agreeing. "To say this is targeted toward young boys because young boys are different than young girls and so the approach needs to be different."
President and CEO Roger Krone told the Associated Press there was "some backlash" to the name change but said there was a small spike in membership after initially announcing the rebranding in May. (The Associated Press)
President and CEO Roger Krone told the Associated Press there was "some backlash" to the name change but said there was a small spike in membership after initially announcing the rebranding in May.
"The fact that we were going with a more kind of gender-neutral name, a lot of people kind of wanted to know more about it," Scouting America CEO Roger Krone told the AP.
The shift comes after a policy change in 2018 allowing girls to join the program. The organization began allowing gay youth in 2013 and ended a blanket ban on gay adult leaders in 2015.
Fox News' Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.
Jeffrey Clark is an associate editor for Fox News Digital. He has previously served as a speechwriter for a cabinet secretary and as a Fulbright teacher in South Korea. Jeffrey graduated from the University of Iowa in 2019 with a degree in English and History.
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