Video Response to the Girl Scout Cookie Boycott

This video is a response to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TD41W5mIWmY

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There are so many things in this video that upset me, it's hard to know where to start. But as a proud former Girl Scout myself, I do think she has one thing absolutely nailed: when we see something we want to change, we need to create the change we want to see. So I'm here today to stand up for transgendered children and the Girl Scouts USA organization.

What I don't think this girl (or her family) realize is that the reasons they're objecting to the inclusion of transgendered children are probably exactly the reasons that GSUSA has CHOSEN to include them. GSUSA states that it is meant to be a safe space for all girls. Let's repeat that: ALL GIRLS. That should absolutely include the transgendered ones as well as the ones who got lucky enough to be born female. This is not a matter of accepting boys into all-girl groups. This is a matter of accepting MORE GIRLS into all-girl groups.

Let's be clear about one thing: these transgendered girls are not merely boys who want to be girls. They ARE girls. Period. Up here and in here, where it counts, they ARE female. They just happen to have bodies that other people identify as male. Transgendered girls need female socialization & community just as much as any other girl does. Excluding them implies that they're not good enough just because they got the wrong set of genetics. Such an implication is neither honest nor fair, and I whole-heartedly applaud GSUSA for recognizing that and making the choice to include transgendered children.

And completely aside from the transgender issue, another of the things that bothers me most about this video is the implication that anyone who is genetically male and has reached puberty is an automatic DANGER! to girls & women, and that the only way to create a safe space for girls is to keep such dangerous influences away.

But creating a safe space where girls can be themselves doesn't have to mean utterly excluding men. What about all the girls out there who don't have a mother in their lives? Are we to tell them that their fathers cannot participate in their Girl Scout activities, cannot be troop leaders or assist with troop projects just because they're male? That doesn't create a safe place for girls to be themselves. It builds a false impression that anyone with a penis is dangerous and untrustworthy, no matter how respectfully that individual may behave. That kind of gender discrimination is neither honest nor fair any more than discriminating against transgendered children is honest or fair.

This girl and her family seem to feel that GSUSA should have made some kind of public statement or press release announcing their decision to include transgendered girls in the organization. I wonder why they believe that necessary. GSUSA has clearly acknowledged their actions publicly; they are not attempting to hide anything. By keeping such decisions on a need-to-know basis they are actually respecting the privacy of those transgendered girls and their troops. They are trying to maintain the safe space that those girls have created for one another by NOT subjecting them to public discrimination and retribution. They did not keep their choices quiet in order to deceive their members; they did it in order to PROTECT their members. That distinction makes ALL the difference.

If this girl and her family want to choose not to give their money to an organization that supports transgendered children, that is absolutely their choice and their right and I support them in that. But they need to understand that not all of us are going to make the same choice - because some of us strongly believe in the positivity of GSUSA's decision. There are many of us out here who believe that in accepting transgendered girls into the organization, GSUSA is in fact doing EXACTLY what they claim to do, and that that is both honest AND fair.

In the end, I felt compelled to create a video response of my own because people need to understand that this is not about boys vs. girls. This is all about girls and what we as women can do to support one another. Thank you.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• girl scouts
• Girl Scout Cookie
• Girl Scouts Of The USA
• transgender
• transgendered children
• support for trans girls
• Transsexualism

[junegloom3]

Loved this.. did you write this response before recording it? You're a very good speaker. :)

[inkandalchemy]

@junegloom3 Thanks! I did have notes written on the screen so I wouldn't forget things I wanted to say, but I didn't memorize it ir anything. Just gave it a once-over and hit record. :)

[fbibarbie]

What counts as transgender if I say im a a girl am I a girl lol XD? Can I go into the girls bathroom now =D

[inkandalchemy]

@fbibarbie You laugh, but I would say yes. Absolutely. I mean really, unless some sicko follows a girl into the stall to check, how would anyone even know? If someone is living as a woman, then yes, they should use the women's restroom. I don't think it's necessary to wait until someone has had gender reassignment surgery to use the right restroom.

[inkandalchemy]

@fbibarbie The thing to remember is that being transgendered is different from being a transvestite. Transgendered people live 24/7 as a different gender than they are physically. Transvestites are simply men who like to dress in women's clothing but still identify internally as male (or women who dress as men but identify as female.) Transvestites don't usually use the other restroom; transgendered folk do. :)

[RadioFlyffer]

Jeezus! You are one fucked up lookin bitch!!

[inkandalchemy]

@RadioFlyffer Awww, thank you! That's so cute! :)

...stick around though. Seriously. I promise you haven't seen fucked up yet,

[animepanda94]

"They aren't boys who want to be girls, they are girls, period." <3 I applaud you. That's basically my reaction to that video. :)

[ThePantonyp]

I agree with you whole heartedly

[fbibarbie]

@inkandalchemy Im just saying there is no point in even seperating them then might as well have coed bathrooms and scouts if anyone can go in either one and all they have to do is say they think they are that gender it's pretty pointless to segregate them if the segregation is optional lol.

[ericbdepraved]

Great response to a very complicated issue.

[caromarie91]

I absolutely agree. The girl's opposition to transgender is disgusting and embarrassing as a commentary to how far we've come as a society. Kudos. :) and will share!