Girl Scouts of Colorado Released Statement Welcoming Transgender Youth

[Shana A]

Girl Scouts of Colorado Released Statement Welcoming Transgender Youth
Wednesday, October 26, 2011 - 1:12pm
by Danny Heffernan, GLAAD's Advertising & Campaigns Fellow

http://www.glaad.org/node/39044

Yesterday, the Girl Scouts of Colorado spoke out in support of transgender children. Following the story of a child who was denied enrollment in a local Girl Scout troop despite identifying as a girl, the Girl Scouts of Colorado released a statement saying that the associate responsible for that troop was unaware of the organization's policy. "Girl Scouts is an inclusive organization and we accept all girls in Kindergarten through 12th grade as members," the statement says. "If a child identifies as a girl and the child's family presents her as a girl, Girl Scouts of Colorado welcomes her as a Girl Scout." Girl Scouts of Colorado also asserted that it is reaching out to the family of the excluded child and will be altering its training programs so that all girls are supported. 

[Constance]

Now, if only the Boy Scouts would do the same for FTMs.

[LivingInGrey]

I wished I could have been a part of the girl scouts when I was younger.

The only thing I see happening is enforcement. I could still see, even with altered training this kind of an issue happening in the future where someone is denied what I think everyone should have access to. Be it girls scouts or boy scouts (so long as it's a good troop).

[kyril]

Now, if only the Boy Scouts would do the same for FTMs.

Unfortunately, the Boy Scouts of America is a completely and totally separate organization run by conservative ->-bleeped-<-s who won't even take gay or atheist cis boys.

[LivingInGrey]

Yeah, I was forced into boy scouts when I was a kid. My mother wanted to man me up a bit but when my dad found out that the troop was %100 Christian (I complained about getting picked on for not knowing God well enough) he pulled me out of boy scouts.

I will say though, there were a lot of things I heard about the boy scouts doing that I liked the idea of but just couldn't stand how religious the families were that hosted the meetings and stuff.

Each troop is different though. I've found a few boy scout troops since then that have impressed me and I would, if I had a son allow him to join the boy scouts so long as religion isn't forced down his throat if he doesn't want it to be. I would have to feel the girl scouts are the same way, each troops values (outside of what's in the manual) are doing to be different depending on the people to lead the individual troop.

[Constance]

Unfortunately, the Boy Scouts of America is a completely and totally separate organization run by conservative ->-bleeped-<-s who won't even take gay or atheist cis boys.

Yeah, I noticed that. They should change their name to reflect that only certain Boys of America are acceptable as Scouts.

*sigh*

[Shana A]

I was a Cub Scout drop out, didn't last more than two weeks! I would've been much happier to be a Girl Scout. 

Z

[Constance]

I took my son to 1 meeting of a local Spiral Scouts circle. Spiral Scouts is a scout organization for kids in neo-pagan families. The circle had both boys and girls, they didn't seem to mind that my son was Christian and I was the pagan, and sexual orientation certainly didn't seem to matter. I don't what their official stance on gender identity is, and I didn't find it on their web site.

[Annah]

That's amazing about the Girl Scouts. I tried soo hard to get into that group when i was little. If you look at the second pic of my transition video it has me holding up a playdough image of the cubscouts. I was not a happy camper!!

[Robert Scott]

I currently work for the Girl Scouts --- and our council has been accepting transgender girls the entire time I have been working there -- about three years.  In fact -- since they know I have a transgender son they come to me to ask questions on what to do to be not be offensive to the girl.  We allow them to register under their choosen name and correct gender (that's for adults as well).  We have several transgender girls in our council and they have even attended resident camp.

[Butterflyhugs]

I was a Cub Scout drop out, didn't last more than two weeks! I would've been much happier to be a Girl Scout. 

Z

Same!

[cynthialee]

I took my son to 1 meeting of a local Spiral Scouts circle. Spiral Scouts is a scout organization for kids in neo-pagan families. The circle had both boys and girls, they didn't seem to mind that my son was Christian and I was the pagan, and sexual orientation certainly didn't seem to matter. I don't what their official stance on gender identity is, and I didn't find it on their web site.

Spiral Scouts are a cool alternative to the other orginizations.
My sister in law had her kids in Spiral Scouts for awhile but the other kids in the troop moved away and all there was left in the troop was her kids so she droped it.

[Constance]

I currently work for the Girl Scouts --- and our council has been accepting transgender girls the entire time I have been working there -- about three years.  In fact -- since they know I have a transgender son they come to me to ask questions on what to do to be not be offensive to the girl.  We allow them to register under their choosen name and correct gender (that's for adults as well).  We have several transgender girls in our council and they have even attended resident camp.

Things like this make me feel better about the human race.

[Joelene9]

  I was a Boy Scout for about 2 years.  The memories from that were good.  Girl Scouts back in the early 60's, if they and society had the accepted guidelines for transgender girls?  Yes, well?  Maybe.  The Girl Scouts back then and other female organizations would prepare the girl to be someone's wife and homemaker.  This was just before NOW and the Women's Lib movement.  I liked doing outdoor stuff.  With the Girl Scouts back then, that was limited to a few outdoor camps dedicated to them.  The Boy Scouts could camp anywhere back then.  We did all of our camping in the woods after a more than an hour's hike each time on BLM land.  And I slept out under the stars with a bedroll I made from the instruction in the Boy Scout manual. 
  It was common on certain days of the year that we wore the uniform to school.  I wanted to wear the Girl Scout dress, but I got stuck with a hand-me-down Boy Scout uniform my mom got from one of her friends. 
  I welcome the decision from my state's Girl Scout council to allow trans girls into the Girl Scouts.  I've been watching this story as it progressed. 
  Joelene