Skip to main contentThe Girl Scouts of Colorado released a statement Thursday supporting the inclusion of transgendered girls in its youth programs. The scouts responded to a female-identifying 7-year-old who was denied enrollment in a Colorado troop because she is biologically male.
"Girl Scouts is an inclusive organization, and we accept all girls in kindergarten through 12th grade as members," the statement says. "If a child identifies as a girl, and the child's family presents her as a girl, Girl Scouts of Colorado welcomes her as a Girl Scout."
WW called Sarah Miller, director of communications with Girl Scouts of Oregon and SW Washington, for a response to Colorado's statement.
"At this time we don't have a stated policy for children," Miller said. "But I'm glad, in a way, that this has come to the forefront because it gives us a starting point for an actual stated policy on this in our organization."
Miller says that Girl Scouts of Oregon and SW Washington plans to engage Portland agencies that serve transgendered youth as it considers the issue.
Girl Scouts of the USA does have an official position.
"Acceptance of transgender youth is handled on a case-by-case basis," the organization says on its website, "with the welfare and best interests of the child in question as a top priority."
According to Miller, there has not yet been an instance of a transgendered girl asking to join a group in Oregon or SW Washington. "At least not to our knowledge," she says. "And while there isn't a stated policy for children at this time, we are entirely inclusive and supportive of diversity."
Girl Scouts of Oregon does have an official non-discrimination policy for adult volunteers that includes gender identity.
WWeek 2015