Girl Scouts of the United States of America denied their relationship with pro-abortion rights organizations involved in the Women Deliver 2013 conference when a former Girl Scout exposed GSUSA’s shady behavior.
Sydney Volanski, a 17-year-old former Girl Scout and co-founder of speaknowgirlscouts.com, published an article revealing that GSUSA is linked to World Association of Girl Guilds and Girl Scouts and contributes $1 million toward WAGGGS annually. WAGGGS publicly supports abortion, but GSUSA claims to be neutral, regardless of the fact that its members’ dues fund some of WAGGGS’s projects.
“GSUSA responded to my article by issuing a statement that dodged the issue… trying to detach themselves from WAGGGS,” Volanski said in an email interview.
GSUSA did not respond to Volanski’s concerns that Girl Scout members are paying a portion of the funds that support pro-abortion rights organizations without knowing it.
“I wish that Volankski was wrong,” said Brenna Young, former Girl Scout and alumnus of California Baptist University. “As I researched more about the topic, it was hard to find arguments defending GSUSA.”
Volanski’s article also explained that GSUSA is one of WAGGGS’ largest members and WAGGGS’ website claims that every GSUSA member is automatically— and unknowingly—a WAGGGS member.
The Women Deliver 2013 Conference that WAGGGS was seen at had several featured speakers, such as pro-abortion rights proponent LeRoy Carhart.
Former Girl Scout, Abbie Patino, sophomore health science major, said she was upset to hear about the controversy, but believes that the GSUSA program can still benefit young girls. She said that Girl Scouts taught her leadership and how to work as a team.
However, she remarked that the “Girl Scout Promise and Law” teaches them to be honest and trustworthy and what GSUSA is involved in is going against that pledge.
“To me, the issue lies in the fact that GSUSA has promised to be neutral on sensitive topics like abortion,” Volanksi said. “However, through the women and organizations they promote and their continuous relationship with WAGGGS, it is obvious that they are, in fact, taking a position.”
Volanski commented on this in her article by reporting that WAGGGS, the International Planned Parenthood Federation and Planned Parenthood Global all participated in the Youth Advisory Group for Women Deliver 2013.
GSUSA still has not commented on its stance on the issue of abortion, regardless of Volanski’s evidence otherwise.
