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Simon Tam

Director of Marketing & Business Development, The Slants LLC

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Should the Girl Scouts Allow Transgender Students to Join the Organization?

Last year, The Girls Scouts made headlines whena single troop leader denied a transgender child admission into the organization. The decision caused a bit of a stir and several leaders resigned and dissolved their troops after the incident.

This year, the Girl Scouts international allowed the same child (Bobby Montoya) to join but now other Girl Scouts are protesting the decision. In fact, one scout (identified only as Taylor) has made a YouTube video crticizing the decision, stating that it endangers the girls for allowing the boy who identifies as a girl to enter.

Personally, I believe that the protesting girl does not grasp the Girl Socuts’ mission of “Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place” or their ideas of empowerment: “relate to others with increasing understanding, skill, and respect; develop values to guide their actions and provide the foundation for sound decision-making; and contribute to the improvement of society through their abilities, leadership skills, and cooperation with others.”

What do you think?

Topics: LGBT Transgender children community discrimination education gender lgbtq sexuality stereotypes
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    Brittney Stewart

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    Jan 16 2012: I have a cousin that's transgender. And if the child truly identifies with that gender, I see no reason to penalize them for their biology.

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        Brittney Stewart

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        Jan 16 2012: I think you presume the gender someone is rests solely on their sexual organs, when there is plenty of scientific evidence to the contrary.

        It strikes me as unfortunately common that it is not a child's first inclination to discriminate against someone on account of their genitals, but it is an adult's.

        Honestly, when you say girl with a penis, you seem to think that she will be flaunting her penis in people's faces. You seem to imply that her gender will be a constant threat to her fellow girl scouts as opposed to the real reason for your animosity. The fact that you are uncomfortable with it, for reasons that you have every reason to believe, but not every right to express as it interferes with the rights of others.

        Simply because it makes you uncomfortable is not enough, the fact that it could "hypothetically," make others uncomfortable is not enough. The fact of the matter is the Girl Scout Mission is to build girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place, then we must build girls of courage to accept those who share this common goal, the confidence to not let divisive points of view undermine this belief, and to instill a character that does not discriminate against others simply because of a biological incongruity.
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          Simon Tam

          • +1
          Jan 16 2012: Saying someone is only a male because of a penis (or female for lack of one) is limited, discriminatory, and sexist. There are many body types beyond yes/no penis. What about intersexed individuals? Or hermaphrodites? Or adrenal hyperplasia (a male with a penis on the outside but uterus and ovaries on the inside, who also menstrates)?
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        russell lester

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        Jan 17 2012: How are Girl Scouts subjected to each others Vagina's? I would hope that they are not. What does it matter what the sex organs are if appropriate behavior requires them to be kept covered? I assume appropriate behavior is maintained by chaperons? I really don't think its as hard as you think to keep the behavior of children in the bounds of propriety, certainly not if they are good scouts. Of course I was a Campfire Girl and so I might expect a higher moral standard all I can say is I never waved my penis(yes I am male ) in anyone's face ever.

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