A young girl is petitioning the Boy Scouts of America to end its “discriminatory” practice of not admitting girls into certain Boy Scouts programs because it allegedly deprives girls of crucial leadership opportunities they cannot find elsewhere… like, in the Girl Scouts.
Sydney Ireland, a 15-year-old from Bridgehampton, Long Island, wrote a Change.org petition—with the help of her brother—demanding the Boy Scouts end its “discrimination against young women.”
In the petition, Ireland argues, “I cannot change my gender to fit the Boy Scouts’ standards, but the Boy Scouts can change their standards to include me.”
“It isn’t just a hobby, it’s access to some of the best leadership training there is,” she adds. “According to the BSA, over half of all astronauts were involved in Scouting and 16.3% of West Point cadets are Eagle Scouts. Of the current Congress, 191 members were involved in Scouting, 18 current U.S. governors participated in Scouting, and many of them are Eagle Scouts. The facts say it all -- high-level Scouting creates opportunity, and with opportunity comes a chance at success in the global community.”
What Ireland fails to admit, however, is that those numbers reveal approximately half of all astronauts, 83.7 percent of West Point cadets, 344 members of the 113th Congress (where Ireland derived her figure), and 32 governors were able to learn their vital leadership skills without the assistance of the Boy Scouts. Some were even in the Girl Scouts.
According to information provided by the Girl Scouts, which apparently isn’t good enough for girls, 58 percent of the women in the 114th Congress, 75 percent of female senators, 53 percent of female House of Representative members, five of the six female governors, and every single female secretary of state have been Girl Scout members.
The Girl Scouts even has an entire pamphlet dedicated to the leadership skills girls learn as members of the group.
Talking to the Southampton Patch, Ireland admits she is unfamiliar with leadership skills women learn from the Girl Scouts.
She said, “I'm not too familiar with Girl Scouts, but Boy Scouts also has the Eagle Rank. I know there's an equivalent in Girl Scouts, as well, but I want girls to have to have the choice to join whatever program they want.”
Without knowing about the success of the Girl Scouts, Ireland writes in her petition, "I, and many young women like me, want this chance at the best leadership training for our youth. Women can now hold all combat roles, and have already earned Bronze and Silver Stars, and Purple Hearts in war. Women have leadership roles in government, business, academia and entertainment."
In a response to Ireland’s petition, communications director for the Boy Scouts of America reaffirmed the organization will remain for boys.
We understand that the values and the lessons of Scouting are attractive to the entire family. However, the Boy Scouts of America was chartered by Congress in 1916 to serve boys and young men across the nation through the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts programs, which are year-round programs for boys in the first grade through age 18. We have since developed alternative programs that are co-ed, such as Venturing, but to change the Cub or Boy Scouting programs would go outside the bounds of our charter.
In 2015, a group of girls also tried to join the Boy Scouts, but were given a similar response.