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The incident which led to the dismissal of temporary camp staff, most of whom are college students, happened at Camp Small Valley in Halifax, PA, Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania explained.
The incident was as follows, according to a statement sent to Daily Voice from GSHPA:
"Recently, it came to our attention that one of our summer resident camp participants, who is a biological girl, was identifying as a boy and using he/him pronouns. While Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania is committed to inclusivity, identifying as a boy and using male pronouns becomes a complex issue in a setting that is a space just for girls. This introduces subject matter that may be considered sensitive or not appropriate to discuss in a youth program setting without staff who are specially trained."
All Girl Scout councils throughout the US, follow the national charter's Blue Book of Basic Documents to help guide the full-time staff. GSHPA's response to the situation doesn't violate those rules.
The national branch, GSUSA has the following statement posted on its Frequently Asked Questions page:
"What is Girl Scouts' position on serving transgender youth?Girl Scouts is proud to be the premiere leadership organization for girls in the country. Placement of transgender youth is handled on a case-by-case basis, with the welfare and best interests of the child and the members of the troop/group in question a top priority. That said, 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."
Over the years, other councils have had boys who identified as girls try to enroll in a troop, but were refused, as ABC News reported in 2011.
The explanation GSHPA gave echoed that of the Girl Scouts of Colorado.
GSHPA said the following about why trans members pose an issue to the Girl Scouting environment:
"We are the premier girl leadership organization in the world with 112 years of creating an all-girl environment where girls can stretch their limits and shine their brightest without the distractions or pressures that can be found in a coed environment."
But, the main issue for GSHPA wasn't about LGTBQ+ rights but that the counselors withheld the camper's request to be called he/him from the full-time staff, writing that:
"Certain camp staff members intentionally withheld this situation from camp leadership. After having been given an opportunity to commit to transparency about any sensitive camper issues in the future, certain staff refused and were let go."
The firing of the counselors has not deterred GSHPA from continuing to host camp for the remainder of the season, as additional full-time staff and local volunteers have stepped up to help. The council serves 30 counties and over 13,500 girls, according to the GSHPA website.
In the council's own words:
"Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania is an inclusive organization that serves all girls."
Editor's Note: The author of this article is a current Lifetime Member of the Girl Scouts who previously worked and volunteered with GSHPA.
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