Dear Girl Scouts: Please do not walk in tomorrow’s inauguration parade
A survivor, woman and former Girl Scout’s last plea
Like many other girls, I was a Girl Scout growing up.
I had the vest, the badges, everything. I won’t lie, I wasn’t a great Girl Scout; I was more obsessed with eating cookies than selling them. But the one thing that always touched me about this organization was that the Girl Scouts had a dedication to protecting girls.
They wanted to empower them to become more than societal cliches. Eventually I stopped being a Girl Scout, but I still continued working in women’s and girls’ rights.
I ran into the Girl Scouts at the 56th Commission on the Status of Women and observed as they backed and continued many initiatives focused on protecting girls and women across the world. But it appears that things have drastically changed.
Recently it was confirmed the Girl Scouts will march in the Donald J. Trump inauguration parade. I was shocked and honestly felt somewhat betrayed. Many former leaders and Girl Scouts, and more feel the same. Backlash has risen across the inter-webs.
The Girl Scouts responded to the criticism with two tweets.
For a nonpolitical group, they sure as hell are making a political move. But this isn’t just a political move, it’s an issue of the protection of girls and women. You can teach about the democratic process and civic engagement by boycotting Trump’s inauguration. By participating in his inauguration march, the Girl Scouts are backtracking on their promise to protect girls. They are endorsing a sexual predator, whether or not they they will admit it.
How can you support a man who’s walked in on barely dressed teenage girls? How can you support the man who is to a certain extent the new face of sexual violence? When and if the Girl Scouts step foot in the parade on Friday, they will be telling thousands of girls and women across America that they do not matter. They will be telling girls and women who are survivors that they don’t matter.
So as a survivor, woman, and former Girl Scout, I will make one final plea in the last couple of hours before the inauguration: Girl Scouts, please don’t march. Girls and women need hope now more than ever.