In 1992, James Dale Sued the Boy Scouts. Now, Pete Hegseth Presents a New Challenge

UNCLOSETED with Spencer Macnaughton · Apr 29, 2026 · 28m

In 1992, James Dale sued the Boy Scouts of America after they kicked him out for being gay. The case lasted nearly a decade and made it all the way to the Supreme Court.

While SCOTUS ultimately ruled against Dale in a 5-4 decision, his case paved the way for LGBTQ inclusion across the organization. In 2014, the Boy Scouts started allowing gay boys to join the organization. Three years later, the organization began allowing trans boy scouts, and a year later, girls became eligible for membership.

But today, Scouting America is presented with a new challenge as Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has…