My Brownie uniform

“True, all-girl experience,” those were the words of the teen named Taylor who is part of a group trying to get people to boycott Girl Scout cookies because the Girl Scouts allowed a transgender child to belong to a troop as reported by CNN Living, on January 13, 2012.

There’s so many things that I find bewildering… where to start? First, I think it’s bizarre that we have to segregate boys and girls in groups. I was a Brownie, and even 30 years ago I thought it wasn’t fair. Why couldn’t there just be Scouts so that everyone could join?

The tv show Parks & Recreation did a spoof on this recently where the boys wanted to join the girls group because it was way more fun, and an expected upset followed. Finally, Ron Swanson created a group for all kids who want to learn about survival in the wilderness. And isn’t that the bottom-line? Learning, not gender or segregation.

So where does that leave me? Yes, the group that wants to boycott the GSA and their cookies because the GS allowed a transgender child to belong. Has anyone given this group proper education about gender identity, expression and diversity? They sound like a large majority of the world that don’t understand transgender issues and discriminate against gender diverse adults and children, and isn’t that just a cry for more education?

Maybe that’s where our dollars could be going, toward gender diversity education so that our communities locally and globally have a better understanding of what our kids and their families are all about and the importance of inclusion for all people.

cross-posted from Today You Are You