The Girl Scouts of America have welcomed transgender girls into their ranks for quite some time now. However, this inclusiveness seems to only now be attracting some heat from conservative religious organizations in this past week.
“Our position is not new,” Andrea Bastiani Archibald, the Girl Scouts USA’s chief girl expert told CNN. “It conforms with our continuous commitment to inclusivity.”
However, there’s currently a petition up on the American Family Association (ugh) website warning people that “boys in skirts” (ughh), “boys in make-up” (ughhh), and “boys in tents” (ughhhh) will put “young innocent girls at risk.” Then, they bring up the good old “boy in a dress in the bathroom” argument to top things off. The petition currently stands at about 38,500 signatures.
While the Girls Scouts of America really only looks at allowing in trans children on a case-by-case basis, according to their FAQ it’s generally accepted that if a scout 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.”
In response to the petition Archibald told CNN, “Luckily, we don’t serve our critics. We are proud to serve all girls.”
Listen. We live in a world where trans children are finding it easier to give up on life rather than deal with the craziness of a world which seems out to get them at every turn. We need to open up more inclusive spaces for them, not shut them out. If the Girl Scouts of America are trying to be inclusive of more girls, then so be it.
Protect trans children. Please.
(via CNN)
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