Joshua Bennett
The Girl Scouts of the USA is the largest girl-led entrepreneurial program in the world, with over 2 million young female members. The Girl Scout Cookie Program is a popular way for scouts to raise money, but it has also been a source of controversy. In recent years, there has been a growing number of pro-life organizations and Catholic groups that have spoken out against the Girl Scouts and their ties to a pro-abortion agenda. The debate centers around the question of whether Catholic parishes should be selling Girl Scout cookies, given the organization's support for contraception, abortion, and transgender rights. While some argue that the Girl Scouts' values are incompatible with Catholic teachings, others defend the century-old tradition of Girl Scouts within the Church.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Girl Scouts' support for contraception, abortion, and reproductive rights | Yes |
| Girl Scouts' support for transgender rights and homosexuality | Yes |
| Girl Scouts' promotion of inappropriate role models | Yes |
| Girl Scouts' partnerships with human rights groups | Yes |
| Girl Scouts' support for gay marriage | Yes |
| Girl Scouts' partnership with religious groups | Yes |
| Girl Scouts' promotion of healthy eating | No |
| Girl Scouts' promotion of a "false and harmful" view of sex and gender | No |
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What You'll Learn
The Girl Scouts' support for transgender rights and homosexuality
The Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA) has been the centre of controversy in recent years due to its support for transgender rights and homosexuality. The GSUSA has welcomed transgender girls into its troops, a decision that has been praised by some and criticised by conservative religious groups. The organisation's stance has been that "if you're a girl, you belong here", and that they do not question someone's gender identity. This stance has been supported by Ellen Kahn, the director of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Children, Youth & Families program, which focuses on LGBT rights.
The GSUSA's support for transgender rights and homosexuality has been met with opposition from some Catholic groups, who see it as incompatible with their values. In 2016, the St. Louis Archdiocese called for Catholics to distance themselves from the Girl Scouts, citing their support for gay marriage, birth control, and transgender rights as reasons for the split. Archbishop Robert J. Carlson wrote a letter to his fellow priests, stating that the Girl Scouts were exhibiting a "troubling pattern of behaviour" that was "incompatible with Catholic values". The archdiocese specifically objected to a "statement of inclusivity" from the Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri, which explained how to welcome a transgender child into the group.
The GSUSA has also been criticised by pro-life organisations for its ties to a pro-abortion agenda and its partnerships with organisations like StayTeen.org, which advocates for birth control, sex education, and abortion access for minors. There have been calls from some Catholic groups to boycott Girl Scout cookie sales, with alternatives to the Girl Scouts suggested, such as the American Heritage Girls and Little Flower Girls Club, which place the scouting experience within a Christian context.
However, the decision to purchase Girl Scout cookies is a matter of individual conscience, and some Catholics may choose to continue supporting the organisation despite its stance on transgender rights and homosexuality. The GSUSA has made efforts to address concerns, removing problematic curriculum from their handbook and web resources. Additionally, the GSUSA's LGBT-inclusive policies have also attracted support from corporations and foundations, including Alcoa, AT&T, Coca-Cola, and MetLife.
In contrast to the Girl Scouts, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has reaffirmed its ban on "avowed homosexual" members and leaders, highlighting a significant difference between the two organisations in their approach to LGBT acceptance.
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The Girl Scouts' ties to a pro-abortion agenda
One of the main concerns cited is the alleged partnership between GSUSA and Planned Parenthood, a pro-choice organization. In 2019, right-leaning and pro-life websites criticized GSUSA for awarding a Gold Award to a member from Southern Arizona, Meghna Gopalan, for a project about women's reproductive health. The original source of this information was a 2018 article in "This is Tucson", which featured an interview with Gopalan. The article mentioned that Gopalan's project was about "reproductive health justice" and joining the Women's March, but it did not explicitly state that her project was about abortion. In response to the criticism, a spokesperson for the Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona clarified that Gopalan's project would not cover abortion and would instead focus on other aspects of women's healthcare, such as the HPV vaccine and domestic violence.
Another concern is GSUSA's relationship with organizations that advocate for abortion rights. According to some sources, GSUSA has partnered with pro-abortion advocacy groups and promoted well-known pro-abortion individuals to its young members. For example, GSUSA has been accused of promoting feminist writers Gloria Steinem and the late Betty Friedan as role models. These writers are known for their support for reproductive rights and have been deemed inappropriate role models by some Catholic leaders.
Furthermore, there have been concerns about the Girl Scouts' support for transgender rights and homosexuality, which some Catholic leaders believe contradicts their values. In 2016, the St. Louis Archdiocese objected to the Girl Scouts' statement of inclusivity regarding transgender children, stating that it was incompatible with Catholic values.
While GSUSA denies having a relationship with Planned Parenthood, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops did find the possibility of local councils or troops collaborating with Planned Parenthood to be an area of concern. However, they did not recommend cutting ties with the Girl Scouts and instead suggested developing memorandums of understanding with local councils.
The debate over the Girl Scouts' ties to a pro-abortion agenda has led to calls for Catholics to boycott Girl Scout cookie sales, with some Catholic leaders urging pastors to consider ejecting Girl Scouts from Catholic property.
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The Girl Scouts' promotion of contraception
The Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) is the largest member organization of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), making up a third of its 10 million members worldwide. WAGGGS promotes a campaign for "sexual and reproductive health services," including "emergency contraception in order to avoid unintended pregnancies" and "accessible, affordable abortions."
WAGGGS promotes, specifically on behalf of its 10 million members, youth reproductive, abortion, and sexual rights. The WAGGGS delegation for the Commission on the Status of Women advocated that "all young people must have access to comprehensive sexuality education and sexual and reproductive health services, including contraception and emergency contraception, in order to avoid unintended pregnancies."
The WAGGGS international organization does promote a curriculum on human sexuality that is problematic for Catholics of conscience. WAGGGS has a close partnership with the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), which advocates sexual and reproductive health. The IPPF credits its partnership with WAGGGS for its success in reaching youth with its message of sexual and reproductive rights.
In 2013, a WAGGGS youth delegation attended a conference hosted by Women Deliver, a global advocacy organization that promotes investment in comprehensive reproductive health, specifically abortion and contraception access. WAGGGS served on the Youth Advisory Group for this conference along with the IPPF and Planned Parenthood Global.
The Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri has also released a "statement of inclusivity" explaining how to welcome a transgender child into the group. This has been objected to by the St. Louis Archdiocese, which also objects to the organization's support of birth control. Archbishop Robert J. Carlson of St. Louis has raised concerns about the Girl Scouts' support for contraception, abortion, and role models like Gloria Steinem. Carlson has urged pastors in the region to consider ejecting the Girl Scouts from Catholic property.
In response to these concerns, some Catholics have boycotted Girl Scout cookies. However, others argue that purchasing Girl Scout cookies is a matter of individual conscience and that there is no definitive answer to the moral question of whether or not to support the organization. While GSUSA has been accused of having ties to Planned Parenthood, the organization denies this and states that it takes no position on birth control or abortion.
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The Girl Scouts' partnerships with human rights groups
The Girl Scouts of America (GSA) is the largest of about 150 member associations of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS). The GSA has over 100 regional councils that have the freedom to plan their activities. The GSA has taken the lead of its mother organization, WAGGGS, which said in its 2000 publication, "Exploring Spirituality," that "you can rarely state that something is definitely right or wrong," a concise statement of situational ethics.
WAGGGS openly partners with population control groups such as the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), PLAN International, and UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The Girl Scouts of America has denied ever being involved in human sexuality issues. The GSA's website has a "Frequently Asked Questions: Social Issues" section, and one of the questions is: "What is Girl Scouts of the USA's position regarding human sexuality, birth control, and abortion?" The answer is: "Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) does not take a position or develop materials on these issues. We feel our role is to help girls develop self-confidence and good decision-making skills that will help them make wise choices in all areas of their lives."
However, former GSA CEO Kathy Cloninger revealed that the GSA has relationships with Planned Parenthood organizations across the country to bring information-based sex education to girls. Local GSA councils are free to participate with Planned Parenthood in any activities they choose. For example, GSA councils in New York, Texas, and Arizona partnered with Planned Parenthood on its explicit "Real Life. Real Talk" or "Nobody's Fool" sex-education programs. In addition to its many ties to Planned Parenthood, the GSA engages in pro-abortion activism in sometimes subtle and manipulative ways. For example, the GSA partners with many pro-abortion groups and blogs such as the National Council for Research on Women (NCRW, now called Re:Gender), Our Bodies Our Blog, Racialicious, RH Reality Check, and Ms. Magazine.
In February 2016, Robert James Carlson, the Roman Catholic archbishop of St. Louis, urged parishioners to cut ties with the Girl Scouts over the group's embrace of LGBT rights. The Girl Scouts defended their actions, stating that they have always been an inclusive organization serving girls from all walks of life and that they handle cases involving transgender children on a case-by-case basis, with the welfare and best interests of the child in question and the other girls in the troop as their highest priority. The Girl Scouts also stated that they do not endorse Planned Parenthood at the national level, and individual Girl Scout councils may choose to have or not have connections with Planned Parenthood.
Archbishop Carlson's letter to his fellow priests and a statement on the archdiocese's website said, "Girl Scouts is exhibiting a troubling pattern of behavior, and it is clear to me that as they move in the ways of the world, it is becoming increasingly incompatible with our Catholic values." The letter and statement were provided to the community to begin a conversation about possible alternatives to the Girl Scouts before the next school year. The archdiocese website also objected to the Girl Scouts' support of birth control, sex education, and abortion access, even for minors, and their support of transgender rights and same-sex relationships.
In summary, the Girl Scouts of America has partnerships with human rights groups, such as Planned Parenthood and its affiliates, that advocate for birth control, sex education, and abortion access. While the Girl Scouts deny taking a position on these issues, their partnerships and activities suggest otherwise. The Girl Scouts' partnerships with human rights groups have sparked controversy, particularly within the Catholic Church, leading to calls for Catholics to distance themselves from the organization and avoid purchasing Girl Scout cookies.
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The Girl Scouts' role models
The Girl Scouts, founded in 1912 by Juliette Gordon Low, is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. The organization's mission is to build "girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place" through activities such as camping, community service, and practical skills like first aid.
The Girl Scouts has been a source of controversy for the Catholic Church, with some members expressing concerns about the group's values and spiritual alignment with Catholic teachings. One of the concerns raised by Archbishop Robert J. Carlson of St. Louis is the organization's support for contraception, abortion, and transgender rights. He also accuses them of promoting inappropriate role models, such as feminist writers Gloria Steinem and the late Betty Friedan.
However, it is important to note that the decision to purchase Girl Scout cookies is a matter of individual conscience for Catholics. While some may choose to boycott the cookies due to their association with the organization's values, others may feel comfortable purchasing them.
The Girl Scouts organization itself provides a platform for girls to find and become leaders and role models in their communities and the world. Through activities and a structured system of badges and awards, girls can develop essential skills and build their confidence. The organization is led by dedicated role models, including CEO Bonnie Barczykowski, who work to guide and inspire the members.
While there may be differences in values and ideologies between the Girl Scouts and the Catholic Church, it is up to individual Catholics to decide whether to support the Girl Scouts and their cookie sales. The Girl Scouts organization remains committed to empowering young girls and providing them with opportunities for growth and leadership development.
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Frequently asked questions
This is a matter of individual conscience. Some people may choose to purchase cookies, while others may feel the association is too close for comfort.
There have been concerns raised by Catholic leaders about the Girl Scouts' support for contraception, abortion, and transgender rights. There is also concern about their choice of role models and partnerships with organizations that advocate for reproductive rights.
Alternatives to Girl Scouts for Catholic girls include American Heritage Girls and Little Flower Girls Club, which were founded to place the scouting experience within a Christian context.
