`If a girl is recognized by her family, school and community as a girl and lives culturally as a girl, Girl Scouts is an organization that can serve her in a setting that is both emotionally and physically safe.`-Girl Scouts statement welcoming transgender girls
Over the last few years, the Girl Scouts of America have been standup allies for the trans community, and opened their doors so that trans girls can participate.
That support of trans feminine girls created a problem for the Western Washington Girl Scout council and its CEO Megan Ferland recently.
They received a $100K donation during their fundraising drive which was a quarter of their fundraising goal. However, it came with a transphobic string attached.
In a letter she received five weeks later, the donor requested that none of the donated money be used to assist transgender girls, and if they couldn't guarantee that, the donor wanted their money returned.
Ferland knew because the parents chose to share that information, there are trans girls participating in some Western Washington area troops. Even though that monetary gift would have allowed 200 fiscally challenged girls to attend summer camp, Ferland quickly returned the money and on June 29 launched a `Girl Scouts is #ForEVERYGirl Indiegogo campaign with a YouTube video to accompany it in order to replace the funds they lost.
They recouped the money they lost in 24 hours and tripled it, raising $300K, and benefit all girls in the Western Washington area that will need some financial assistance in order to attend camp.
People also supported the campaign on social media, using the #ForEVERYGirl hashtag.
My congratulations to the Western Washington Girl Scouts, who demonstrated principled leadership, returned a transphobic donation and were rewarded for it.
I sure would like to know who that transphobe is so they can receive the proper level of scorn they deserve..
But I;m definitely tripling my Girl Scout cookie order next year.
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