Did you see that Girl Scouts have accepted transgender child in Colorado?

[DDD]

I don't have any in depth knowledge about transgender issues but off the top of my head I think this is a wonderful step. The child has been bullied for some time due to the identity issue and obviously needs to feel at home within some organization of peers. on the other hand I have to wonder how the Girl Scouts and their parents will adjust to the situation. Is it possible that in 2011 there is a good chance of a sincere welcome to the group? I hope so but I am skeptical. DDD

 

[muttmeister]

Probably like everyplace else: a few will be welcoming, a few will act like jack-donkeys, and the rest will try to ignore it in the hopes it will go away.

 

[hearts and roses]

I think it's a pretty bold step for an organization such as the Girl Scouts of America, but I'm proud of them for it. It will take some time to see how it plays out, I'm sure. Not that many kids feel that open about their sexuality at the ages most of them are in scouts, Know what I mean?? It was an interesting read.

 

[keista]

Hopefully this will become a trend. If not, at least that chapter (I didn't see the article) is moving forward progressively.

If memory serves me correctly, a few years ago there was a huge stink because some chapters allowed gay men to work with the Boy Scouts?

 

[KTMom91]

I remember that too, keista. I think it's a huge forward step for Scouting in general, and I'm glad this little guy has a place where he feels he is accepted. Hope the trend continues.

 

[Mattsmom277]

I was delighted to see this thread.

My sister, the one I only recently learned of and met, has 2 children.

My niece is bipolar amongst other things and for sure is a difficult child.

My nephew now lives on his own in a bigger city many hours away. He is transgendered and has suffered greatly, in part die to lack of acceptance. He struggles daily and I know often can't find a reason to want to live. Breaks my heart.

Stories like the girl guides etc give hope maybe one day acceptance will be more mainstream

 

[witzend]

The Girl Scouts have always been a more open minded organization than many others. After all, Girls are used to be picked upon and discriminated against for not being boys, or not being pretty, or not being some other thing that we have absolutely no control over. They're LIGHT YEARS ahead of Boy Scouts along the lines of acceptance.

 

[DammitJanet]

DDD, I have to tell you I am always in awe of your open-mindedness. I know many people especially in your age range who simply cannot deal with anything like this. I adore you! Now as to this child and the Girl Scouts, I hope they accept her and she has a wonderful experience. It can be so hard to grow up transgendered.

 

[Suz]

Suz

 

[TerryJ2]

by the way, the boy is not transgendered. He has not had surgery. He is a cross-dresser. He dresses like a girl. It remains to be seen whether he will continue on this path.
It also remains to be seen whether s/he likes GS rather than BS. Their activities differ so much. GS tend to do more sedentary tasks. The sad part is that no one, that is, none of the news orgs, discussed what s/he is interested in, aka skating, math, sewing, etc. It was all about the misquoted "gender identity" issue.
I hope s/he has a good time and is not picked on. You can't force kids to "play nice."

 

[tiredmommy]

Terry~ GS activities vary greatly by troop, some GS are independent (called Juliettes) and set their own agendas. Some badges are very active ilke skiing, swimming, horseback riding or rope climbing. Other groups focus on community service (like Duckie's). Some do lots of crafts. And I can personally attest to how open the GS are: I called two days before Duckie's 5th birthday to register Duckie in a local Daisy troop. I was told that that the norm was to register at the start of the school year, wouldn't I rather wait since the year was half over? I explained that Duckie was a difficult child and I really needed a place for her to have some socializing success under her belt before kindergarten started. She took my name & number and got back to me the next day because she wanted to make sure Duckie fell into the "right" troop where she would be accepted. Duckie is still a GS today.

 

[buddy]

I want to read more about this. it is interesting to me. My understanding is that gender identity disorder is the term that would be used for a child who really feels they are in the wrong body. I thought (could be very wrong of course) they do not have to have the surgery to be called transgendered. They can have their sex changed legally without it. I doubt this is just a kid who likes to wear girls clothes sometimes. I dont think it has anything to do with whether or not they ultimately are attracted to boys or girls, right? It is really interesting to me how views are changing. There are some who have gone thru the surgery and everything and now say they wish they never had, most say they really suffered growing up because they couldn't be who they knew they were. So now some are making hard choices because these kids are ready to kill them selves over this at a very young age. I had a student who is an intersexed child and parents decided to raise him as a boy. He was very much not part of the "boy" group in class but that happens with some not intersexed children too. We just let him be who he was. Poor kids, such a hard road.

 

[DammitJanet]

Transgender is the state of one's gender identity (self-identification as woman, man, neither or both) not matching one's "assigned sex". It has nothing to do with sex change surgery.

 

[DDD]

Janet did you watch the Toddlers & Tiaras with the little boy who was the only male competitor in some big competition? Although he won the male title by default he was one of the children featured in the intro at home films. He was not interested in "male" toys etc. and his Mom very pleasantly said "X has had his own identity since he was born and we love his uniqueness." Perhaps erroneously I thought at that time the child was likely transgender. Correctly I thought how wonderful it was that his family loved him "as is". I am no expert in this arena but I firmly believe that each child should be accepted and loved for who they are and I assume for many parents it would be a trauma to have a nontraditional child. He came to mind when I read the girl scout article. DDD

 

[keista]

I dont think it has anything to do with whether or not they ultimately are attracted to boys or girls, right?

Right. My stepson is transgendered. Last I had contact with him he was getting hormone injections planning for surgery in the next few years. However, he grew up liking girls and still liked girls. Was "experimenting" with boys, but I think he still favored girls.

 

[DammitJanet]

DDD, are you talking about the little boy who kept danced and wore red and black and talked about Dorothy and the ruby slippers? If so, yes I saw that episode...lol. He was adorable. Obviously I am very open to all things. I would love and support my kids and grandkids no matter where they fell on the identity scale.

 

[DDD]

That's exactly the little boy I'm talking about. He was adorable and very lucky to have a loving accepting family. DDD

 

[DammitJanet]

Yeah he was. His mom seemed really great and I thought those dolls of his were hysterical.

 

[TerryJ2]

Good for Ducky!

I agree, that transgendered means "feeling trapped in the wrong body," as compared to "being attracted to people of the same sex."
I will look up the newest definition. I am going by the definition my church used 8 yrs ago when they voted to be a "Welcoming congregation" to gays, lesbians and transgendered individuals." No age was given but at that point, we all assumed we were talking about adults over 18 who could donate to the church.