Genderization in Scouting Advertisements
Modern Implications
Many people have noticed the apparent discrepancies between the values and activities GSUSA and BSA hold and provide, and have voiced their complaints.
“Girl Scouts sucks. I didn't learn anything and we didn't do anything fun. I always saw the activities my brothers did in Boy Scouts and they were awesome - pinewood derbys, legit camping, etc”
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- Chelsea, Facebook.
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In late 2017, BSA made a controversial announcement: the organization would soon allow girls to join the program. Meanwhile, GSUSA has been clear that they don’t support this change, writing a letter to BSA regarding their “reckless” behavior in deviating from their single-gender philosophy. They also accused BSA of only making the change to increase their membership, while BSA argues that their values would be beneficial to young girls as well as boys.
GSUSA has remained firm on their position, as they strongly believe in the benefits of single gender programming. They are not entertaining any possibility of opening up membership to boys, as seen on their “Social Issues FAQ” webpage (addressing their position on serving transgender youth). GSUSA states: “... if the child is recognized by the family and school/community as a girl and lives culturally as a girl, then Girl Scouts is an organization that can serve her in a setting that is both emotionally and physically safe.”
In other words, GSA is set on only serving people who identify as female.
The entire concept of gendered scouting is becoming increasingly less popular, especially as modern ideals are becoming more popular. Many other countries, including England, Canada, and all of Scandinavia already have adopted co-ed scouting programs, ditching the need to educate boys and girls differently.
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One of the first all-girl Boy Scout Troops in the US, 2019.
Looking forward, it seems incredibly unlikely that GSUSA and BSA will merge, as the two organizations have grown ever further apart since their founding, and BSA is creating a new frontier for girls in scouting.
However, for there’s a new opportunity for girls who would rather do more “masculine” activities.