This Girl Scout Is Calling for a Cookie Boycott Over the Inclusion of a Transgender Child
Posted on January 12, 2012 at 5:29pm by
Madeleine Morgenstern
This
California teen is calling for a boycott of Girl Scout cookies after
the organization accepted a transgender child to a Colorado troop.
(Image source: YouTube)A California teen calling for a Girl Scout cookie boycott after the organization accepted a transgender child to a Colorado troop in October.
In an online video posted to YouTube Jan. 3 — and which has since been made private — the teen, wearing a Girl Scout sash, says she’s been a member of the organization for eight years and urges people not to buy the iconic cookies until Girl Scouts agrees to bar transgender members. Though she doesn’t identify herself, the Christian Post reported her name is Taylor and that she’s from Ventura County, Calif.
“I have been taught by Girl Scouts to advocate for my beliefs, and to discover, connect and take action when I see something I want to change in the world,” Taylor says in the eight-minute video. “The problem is, what I want to help change is Girl Scouts.”
“Right now, Girl Scouts of the USA, or GSUSA, is not being honest with us girls, its troops, its leaders, its parents or the American public,” she continues. “Girl Scouts describes itself as an all-girl experience. With that label, families trust that the girls will be in an environment that is not only nurturing and sensitive to girls’ needs, but also safe for girls.”
A group calling itself HonestGirlScouts.com first released the video to religious organizations and pro-family groups, according to the Christian Post. Susan Riedley, the site’s editor, told the Post Taylor wanted to make the video to expose the organization’s policies and initially withheld her name out of fear of retribution.
“Why is GSUSA willing to break its own safety rules and go against its own research findings to accommodate transgender boys?” Taylor asks in the clip. “Unfortunately, I think it is because GSUSA cares more about promoting the desires of a small handful of people than it does my safety and the safety of my friends. And they are doing it with the money we earn for them by selling Girl Scout cookies.”
“I am asking you to take action and boycott Girl Scout cookies. I ask all fellow Girl Scouts who want a true, all-girl experience not to sell any cookies until GSUSA addresses our concerns.”
In a statement to the New York Daily News, a Girl Scouts spokeswoman said the organization prides itself on being inclusive, serving girls from all walks of life.
“We handle cases involving transgender children on a case-by-case basis, with a focus on ensuring the welfare and best interests of the child in question and the other girls in the troop as our highest priority,” the statement said.
Cookie sales raise money for scouting activities year-round, the statement said.
It continued: “As a beloved American institution, the Girl Scout Cookie Program is a natural target for those seeking to draw attention to themselves or their cause. It’s important for everyone to know that nearly 100 percent of the proceeds from these sales stay in the local market and are used to fund programs for girls.”
Before the video was made private Thursday, it had amassed more than 135,000 views and prompted dozens of video responses.
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