Boy Scouts of America

(WAND) - The Boy Scouts of America will start requiring Eagle Scouts to earn a "diversity and inclusion merit badge" in response to recent events. 

BSA announced Tuesday it stands with the Black Lives Matter movement after the deaths George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. It referred to the deaths as "murders" and condemned them, NBC News reports.

In a "Dear Scouting family" letter released by the BSA National Executive Committee, leaders said "this is not a political issue" and instead is "a human rights issue and one we all have a duty to address."

Along with the new merit badge requirement, the organization plans to require "diversity and inclusion" training of all workers and the review of all "property names, events and insignia, in partnership with local councils, to build on and enhance the organization's nearly 30-year ban on the use of the Confederate flag." 

BSA filed for bankruptcy protection four months ago as legal costs mounted from defense against lawsuits claiming sexual abuse of boys in the organization. 

It has taken progressive stances in recent years, including the removal of a ban on openly gay members in 2014 and the decision to allow openly gay adults to be scout leaders in 2015. Transgender boys were allowed in scouting ranks in 2017.

BSA decided in the same year to start allowing girls to join the Cub Scouts. It also began setting up a program allowing girls to reach the rank of Eagle Scout. Beginning in February 2019, the organization announced it was changing the name of a program for kids in the 11-17 age range to a gender-neutral "Scouts BSA".

In 2019, BSA reported it had over 1.18 million Cub Scouts, close to 799,000 Boy Scouts and about 800,000 adult volunteers in its ranks - a decline from numbers reported in 2016.