Girl Scouts of the USA has long welcomed transgender girls in its troops. But after the anti-LGBT American Family Association recently targeted the organization, Girl Scouts leadership doubled down on their trans-inclusive stance.
"Our position is not new," said Andrea Bastiani Archibald, the Girl Scouts USA's chief girl expert. "It conforms with our continuous commitment to inclusivity."
Placement of transgender youth will be handled on a case-by-case basis, with the welfare and best interests of the child and the members of the troop/group in question a top priority. If the child is recognized by the family and school/community as a girl and lives culturally as a girl, then Girl Scouts is an organization that can serve her in a setting that is both emotionally and physically safe.
The Utah Pride Center launched in April a Girl Scout troop that welcomes children from LGBT families and transgender girls. This brought the issue to the national attention of activists on both sides of the issue.
In 2012, a Denver troop attracted accolades and criticism for allowing a transgender girl to join its troop. One side effect: Supporters encouraged people to buy more cookies from their local troops while opponents advised people to stay away from the treats.
This decision has raised issues with conservative religious groups, which claim that the Girl Scouts would be allowing boys "who are confused" to join. Claiming that Girl Scouts have lost its "moral compass," the American Family Association created an online petition on May 13 to ask the organization to restrict the Girl Scout's membership to "biological girls" It attracted more than 38,000 e-signatures in a few days.
"This means girls in the organization will be forced to recognize and accept transgenderism as a normal lifestyle," the petition read. "Boys in skirts, boys in make-up and boys in tents will become a part of the program. This change will put young innocent girls at risk." Supporters of the petition wanted to "stop this nonsense by rescinding this dangerous policy."
The language of the petition evoked repeatedly debunked, transphobic arguments that equate transgender people with sexual predators--even though studies show transgender women, especially, are the most at risk of verbal and physical harassment when using gender-segregated spaces like restrooms and locker rooms, compared to their nontrans counterparts.
In a statement published on the official Girl Scouts website May 14, the organization's chief leader clarified the organization's intention of "serving all girls.
A day after the petition was created the Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low was cited in a blog written by the current head of the organization, Archibald: "Our mission is to build 'girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place'. This extends to all members, and through our program, girls develop the necessary leadership skills to advance diversity and promote tolerance."
The Girl Scouts' stance means that one of the most popular activities for girls is clearly accessible to transgender girls, said Ellen Kahn, director of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation''s Children, Youth & Families program, which focuses on LGBT rights.
"Scouting is such a big part of many children's lives," Kahn said. To her, the Girl Scouts' stance tells young people that "if you're a girl, you belong here, and who are they to question someone's gender identity? They recognize that's not for them to do."
That doesn't mean the Girl Scouts USA can force local councils to welcome anybody. There are 112 Girl Scout councils across the country, all of which are separate nonprofit organizations. That's 2.8 million Girl Scouts -- 2 million children and 800,000 adult members who are mostly volunteers. The national organization provides guidance to local Girl Scout councils on many issues. It works with the councils to ensure that the Girl Scouts' mission to build girls of courage, confidence and character, extends to all girls, but it doesn't dictate policy to them.
The Girl Scouts of the USA, which is headquartered in New York City, first made waves with trans-inclusive policies back in 2011, when news broke that a Denver troop had welcomed a 7-year-old transgender girl into its ranks. Throughout the resulting backlash--including a brief, failed effort at a boycott of the famous Girl Scout cookies--the national organization's message was clear: Scouting is for all girls.
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