SCOTUS Protected the Scouts' Right to Exclude Me—And Their Right to Be Inclusive.

This article focuses on James Dale's reflection on his 2000 U.S. Supreme Court case against the Boy Scouts of America (now Scouting America), in which the Court ruled that the private organization had a constitutional right to set its own membership standards, including excluding gay members. Dale critiques recent federal government actions, specifically by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who has pressured Scouting America to alter its membership policies through threats to military support, which Dale argues contradicts the Court's ruling protecting private associations from government interference. Despite these pressures, Scouting America maintains its inclusive membership, including transgender individuals and girls, illustrating the organization's evolution within the constitutional framework established by the Supreme Court. The article highlights the tension between legal precedent on private association rights and contemporary governmental influence.