Boy Scouting to open to girls and the misogyny I am seeing
Yesterday, Boy Scouts of America announced that starting in the Fall of 2018, Cub Scouting will open to girls (K-5). Currently, Scouting is co-ed for 14-21 year old youth involved in Venturing, Exploring, STEM, and Sea Scouts. The only part of the program that will remain boys only will be Boy Scouts, youth aged 11-18.
My family has been involved in Scouting since they eliminated the ban on gay Scouts several years ago. In fact, there was a massive influx of boys into our Pack at that time, mostly parents who did not want their kids to learn hate (as one parent put it). We believe in the aims and values of Scouting as beneficial to Youth and were thrilled to learn about Venturers and Explorers. Both of our boys would like to join Venturing some day.
After the announcement yesterday, I was thrilled. Mr AC was thrilled too. Our boys are excited that girls will get to join and have all the recognition for the fun they have already been having with their brothers. See, parents have been bringing the female siblings of our Scouts to meetings, activities, and camp for years. It is a family organization. The girls participate with the boys. But they get no recognition. They can't join. Many are in Girl Scouts which is a wonderful organization as well. But their programming is different than Boy Scouts and many of the girls who join us say our outings are more fun. They like to do the Slip and Slide into the mud pit. They like shooting BB guns and archery. They like swimming, the climbing wall, boating, and all the other things we do at camp.
I was not prepared for the backlash that this announcement has brought forth. The misogyny, the nastiness, the downgrading of Scouts for allowing girls (in their opinion). I've had well-meaning parents say "but boys aren't ready to lead at the same age as girls and the girls will get all the leadership positions". Really? Boys can't learn to lead if girls are included? What does that say we are thinking about our boys?
I've had people say that the name is "boy" scouts and that does not mean girls. Cub Scouts is a gender inclusive name. Most other nations have co-ed Scouting. The US is one of a handful of nations that is not. In fact, a cursory search found the US and Singapore (and even they mention "youth" so I think that has changed).
I have heard that adding girls is an underhanded move to take girls away from Girl Scouts (it isn't...different programs), improve sagging numbers (maybe...but why shouldn't we work to include everyone?), and that we are trying to deflect attention from our "sexual abuse problem" (that from GMA this morning quoting a Girl Scout spokeperson. We have been in Scouting now for 5 years. We have seen nothing of this "problem". In fact, adults go to GREAT LENGTHS to make sure our youth protection program is strictly adhered to.
What is deeply troubling is how many people in social media (and former members of our Pack) are saying that this makes the whole organization "worthless", "pointless", and "watered down" including girls. One person said the BSA should remove the word "America" from their name since this is no longer America when girls are allowed!
I will let the dust settle and try to toughen up, but it is horrifying to me the way girls (and boys to an extent) are being dragged through the mud to defend a worldview of boys need to be men...and how can we raise them to be "men" if there are girls involved? In the meantime, most of the leadership in our Pack supports and welcomes girls next year. We just don't know where we will put everyone as we are already bursting at the seams.
The important thing is that we feel our kids are raised right in that they said "That's great!" when they heard their female friends and fellow students might join them next year.
= new reply since forum marked as read
1. Open to gays; and
2. Mormons, who made up HUGE numbers of Scouts ("1 in 6"
, are dropping out/not joining.
https://ldsmag.com/church-drops-boy-scout-programs-for-older-teens/
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE NUMBERS AND SURVIVAL, NOT GENDER EQUALITY.
The GSoA is TICKED OFF:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-41588054
Has it not? 
Remember when all hell broke loose last year among the Christian right when the Girl Scouts admitted transgender troops and they said the apocalypse was coming? Fuck those people. 
