Oh, the conversation that has cropped up around the Girl Scouts and their recent support of Planned Parenthood… Which actually isn’t all that recent, considering that Girl Scouts has long been a supporter of women’s rights, possibly starting with having Betty Friedman (founder of the National Organization of Women) serve on the GSUSA National Board for 12 years around the 70s. Girl Scouts has always been an organization dedicated to the success, health, and well-being of young women. So, what is all this current media attention really about?
It all started with two Girl Scouts, Sydney and Tess, who were part of the organization for eight years before they learned about Girl Scouts’ roundabout connection with planned parenthood, but as soon as they did, they refused to continue to support the organization. Sydney and Tess left their troop, now refer to themselves as “ex-Girl Scouts,” and are telling the nation the “truth” about Girl Scouting with their website, SpeakNowGirlScouts.com.
On their website, the two girls are up in arms over materials printed by GSUSA in which girls are referred to what they call a “pro-abortion” website called The Women’s Media Center. The WMC aims to empower women in the media and, because of this so-called “ultra-feminist” ideal, Sydney and Tess condemn The WMC and Girl Scouts for having a “feminist agenda.”
The girls’ statement is as follows:
“While we recognize the many good things about the Girl Scouts, we had to ask ourselves: Will we stand for our beliefs, for the dignity of life, the sanctity of marriage, modesty, purity? Or will we remain true to the Girl Scouts? We cannot see any way to truly do both.”
Another website’s homepage, HonestGirlScouts.com, features an article called “GSUSA stands by Girls Inc. and dumps traditional badges for new, sexy friends.” Upon clicking on the link, the article reads as follows:
Girl Scouts of the USA is rewriting the history of Girl Scouting — literally. Throw away your badge books and make way for their new standards of pro-sex, pro-abortion advocacy and liberal, socialist political swayings. They are actually in the process of REPLACING all the books and RETIRING patches they deem “outdated.” If their new patch is any indication of what to expect, they should have an entire army of radical, liberal, free-love girls ready to serve the United Nations within a decade.
Yes, Girl Scouts is retiring old badges. I mean, the organization has been around for 100 years, it only makes sense to catch up with the times. However, that, in no way, means that the standards and values of Scouting are being replaced with “radical and liberal ideals.”
What Sydney, Tess, and varying websites/organizations are failing to realize is that there is a very powerful difference between “pro-abortion” and “anti-life.” In my 16 years of Girl Scouting, working on the local, regional, and national levels, I have not once been exposed to any sort of “agenda.” For me, Girl Scouts has always been about making healthy, positive choices for myself and, yes, safe sex falls into that category. This is what Girl Scouts is about: promoting health, knowledge, and safety to every woman, everywhere. For some women, this may mean physical activity and for others it may mean camping skills, but sexual health is undoubtably part of thriving as a female and there are women who need this information.
The truth of the matter is that it’s 2011. In 2011, not every girl wants to learn about bird watching, child care, camping, cooking, or sewing. In 2011, some girls want to learn about college, financial literacy, politics, science, math, engineering, and leadership. The interests of girls are changing; they’re evolving to fit the standards and needs of today’s society. If Girl Scouts is to remain an organization for girls and by girls, how do they even have an option not to change, update, and expand what they have to offer?
The official GSUSA response to sex education is as follows:
Our official position on health and sex education is that in some areas of the country, Girl Scout troops or groups may choose to hold discussions about human sexuality and may choose to collaborate with a local organization that specializes in these areas. The topic is discussed from a factual, informative point of view and does not include advocacy or promotion of any social or religious perspective.
God forbid that girls are allowed to learn about their bodies and how to protect their rights as a woman if they so choose. Let me remind you that there is not a single part of any Girl Scout award or badge that requires girls to take part in an activity that they don’t believe in or makes them uncomfortable.
Let us also not forget that permission slips are an integral part of Girl Scout rules. In fact, HonestGirlScouts.com brings up the thought that “it is up to each girl’s respective parent/guardian/custodian to determine how best to teach about puberty and how her family/group/tradition views sexuality.” In their defense, I can understand how this might be an issue. However, it isn’t simply sexuality that may cause for a clash of interests; there are countless types of situations in which the parent should/may be the first responder. As a parent, if you truly come across an activity that you believe is stepping on your toes, then have your daughter skip out on that particular meeting or outing. Just choose not to sign the permission slip. It’s really that simple. Although youmay may not want your daughter learning about X, Y, or Z, there are other girls, parents and families in this world that do, and it really isn’t your place to interfere with those rights and opportunities (without due cause, of course).
In reality, communication works both ways. Your Girl Scout council and leaders aren’t hiding information from you. They aren’t hosting secret sex ed workshops in their garages. Leaders will make sure that parents know what their daughters are during in their meetings. Take the initiative to ask what your daughter will be doing that night before you drop her off. Ask about the movie they’ll be watching at the troop sleepover, who the guest speaker is, or what exactly your girl is being taught. If you don’t agree with or support the activity, participation is optional. You have to stop and realize that your child isn’t the only child in their troop, in the city, in the council, or in the country. That said, you also need to realize that you may be the only fish swimming upstream of change.
Long story short: Girl Scouts is about promoting and creating powerful women whom are capable of achieving positive and visible change. In order to do this, women need to be happy, healthy, safe, and informed. We aren’t hiding anything from you, we’re not brainwashing your daughters, and we don’t have an agenda. Pregnancy and abortion are a part of daily life just as much as media or politics. Girl Scouts is making the move to the realities that girls face in this day and age, and girls have a right to be knowledgable and informed.
The raw fact is that many families (including those of Girl Scouts) simply neglect any kind of “safe sex” or alternatives talk with their girls in today’s society. Only to be edified by the shocking statistic that, for every 1,000 girls ages 15-19, there are 39.1 births a year. In addition, there are 65 million people in the US whom are living with an STD. Of those 65 million, two-thirds of them are under the age of 25. Girl Scouts are included in this statistic because, believe it or not, they can get just as pregnant as any other woman on this earth. The difference is in how Girl Scouts choose to take action and respond to the presence of sex in their life.
This is the reality and someone has to protect our future.
“God forbid that girls are allowed to learn about their bodies and how to protect their rights as a woman if they so choose. ”
Um, yes God forbid if she uses her “right” to needlessly kill a baby in the womb. You completely don’t get the point.
Indeed, I do get the point.
For the record, I don’t believe in abortion. However, as I state in my post, freedom extends only so far as the tip of your nose. Who am I to say that someone isn’t allowed to do something because I don’t believe in it myself? I am, in no way, entitled to infringe upon another person’s freedom. Neither are you. Beliefs, morals, religion, etc. is a personal thing. You have no right to push your ideals on another human being.
Everyone needs to stop trying to tell others how to live their lives. Do you.