To argue that this should is not a suitable topic for the Girl Guides

[MovedByFanciesThatAreCurled]

Girlguiding is for girls, aged 10-14. So why then do they feel the need to promote this on their social media?

This week is #AceWeek - a time to raise awareness and understanding of the asexual community. So here’s a shout-out to all of our asexual volunteers and members – thank you for everything you do in Girlguiding.

The reference to ‘members’ is quite clear. What on earth were they thinking in making reference to young girls’ sex lives (or lack of them according to the focus of the Tweet). How, as an organisation, have they strayed so far? I have two boys in the Scouts/Beavers and if this came up on either of their social media pages I would pull them out. Why is it seen to be an acceptable for Girlguiding?!!

YANBU People don't send their children to Guides to learn about sexuality. Surely guides is all about learning practical skills, socialising and making friends. Why does everything have to be made so explicit and put into little boxes?

Don't young girls deserve to know that if they don't want sex that it doesn't mean there's something wrong with them, amongst all the peer pressure to get themselves boyfriends and have sex as soon as possible? What's wrong with teaching them this message in a safe and supportive environment like guides?

I can't see an issue with this to be honest.

@EdenFlower

YANBU People don't send their children to Guides to learn about sexuality. Surely guides is all about learning practical skills, socialising and making friends. Why does everything have to be made so explicit and put into little boxes?

Exactly what is explicit about "thanks to all our asexual members, we value you"?

@NoSquirrels

In the context of Girlguiding I don’t think it’s appropriate to bring sex and sexuality up as a ‘taught’ or featured topic.

I don’t think it is a ‘taught’ or featured topic - is it?

No, it isn’t.

Not seen the Tweet, but the FB post was merely a thank you to asexual volunteers. It’s not something we are required to be ‘teaching’ - not in our remit.

Looking back through the GirlGuiding Twitter platform (twitter.com/girlguiding) there are multiple and frequent tweets about sexual violence/ harassment against women and girls , celebrating Marsha Bridges for her work with the LGBT+ community for black history month, bisexual visibility day, advertising their ‘Guide With Pride’ LGBT+ badge and lots of other posts around Pride/ LGBT+ for Pride month in June.

Why is a single post about asexuality so much worse than all of these tweets which have been posted over the last few months? Is being asexual really that shameful compared to other orientations such as being bisexual or gay that it shouldn’t ever be talked about?

Why does a child’s activity group need to discuss sex and sexuality at all?

So I presume you never mention your husband or partner when you're around children if you think it's an inappropriate thing for them to discuss?

Why is it that heterosexuality is discussed and celebrated everyday with no issues (when people get married and have children or get engaged etc), but as soon as anyone else wants their sexuality to be acknowledged (not discussed or celebrated, just recognised as existing), people push back to such a major extent?

@MolkosTeenageAngst

Looking back through the GirlGuiding Twitter platform (twitter.com/girlguiding) there are multiple and frequent tweets about sexual violence/ harassment against women and girls , celebrating Marsha Bridges for her work with the LGBT+ community for black history month, bisexual visibility day, advertising their ‘Guide With Pride’ LGBT+ badge and lots of other posts around Pride/ LGBT+ for Pride month in June.

Why is a single post about asexuality so much worse than all of these tweets which have been posted over the last few months? Is being asexual really that shameful compared to other orientations such as being bisexual or gay that it shouldn’t ever be talked about?

Because MN likes to get into a froth when anything outside of the norm is discussed or introduced to their darling children

So many seem to ignore the fact that heterosexuality is celebrated and acknowledged by children every single day in our society without issue, yet as soon as you dare mention asexuality or bisexuality, they all rush to say how inappropriate it is for children to even be aware of such horrors

Some asexual people can and do want sex, they can enjoy sex. Asexuality about who you fancy.

Have we redefined what “asexual” means now? It meant “without sex” when I did biology.

I do think it is quite interesting that the Girl Guiding Twitter account entirely ignored Lesbian Visibility Week. I wonder why that was?

YANBU it is creepy AF

I think it's really regressive. Asexuality is reasonable in an academic discourse but in wider general discussion it should be irrelevant. Someone's sexuality should not be the most interesting thing about them. Children should be given the appropriate, it's ok to love or not love, have sex with or not have sex with whomever you want as long as it is consensual and legal. Consent and legality being the operative words.

I have no desire to have sex with either men or women and haven't for a long time. There's no need for a special bloody label, it's just on the very wide spectrum of completely normal and ordinary. Why would anyone need the constant regressive ordering of things into boxes - why would anyone want to celebrate being in a box? I find it baffling.

I am without religion, I am without a gender identity and I have no interest in sex with anyone but I reject all these bloody labels flying about. It's all so navel gazing.

It’s inappropriate for multiple reasons but the easiest one for me is “don’t worry I can be here in your room/shower-bathroom block/help you with your periods if needed, be around while you are dressed/undressed etc because I am asexual”

If you can’t see the issues here you are very stupid or wilfully missing the point.

Good god, whatever next!

If you can’t see the issues here you are very stupid or wilfully missing the point.

If you can't see that this is not being taught to the members at all then you are very stupid or wilfully missing the point.

If you can't see that this is not being taught to the members at all then you are very stupid or wilfully missing the point

No I don’t think I am actually but thanks for your reply

Taken over by pervs and nonces in my opinion - won’t let my girl go there now.

My opinion in a country where I hope my right to free speech will be protected - if it isn’t and my post is removed I would question whether there is a sinister conspiracy to silence women who are concerned about the constant bombardment of young girls with sexual references.

Guide leaders are not trained in phse and shouldn't be teaching it

@TheKeatingFive

It's not appropriate to give an unpaid volunteer that level of responsibility. Recipe for disaster.

Are they allowed to talk about the existence of hetero and homosexuality?

@TheKeatingFive did they mark Lesbian Visibility Week then?

Though with girls that age I doubt that there is much more you can cover than "some men love other men, some women love other women".

@WiseUpJanetWeiss

Some asexual people can and do want sex, they can enjoy sex. Asexuality about who you fancy.

Have we redefined what “asexual” means now? It meant “without sex” when I did biology.

I do think it is quite interesting that the Girl Guiding Twitter account entirely ignored Lesbian Visibility Week. I wonder why that was?

Asexual reproduction in biology is different to asexuality an an orientation.

As an orientation asexuality is when you don’t feel a sexual attraction towards other people, just as straight people don’t typically feel sexual attraction to members of the same sex or gay people don’t typically feel sexual attraction to members of the opposite sex asexual people don’t typically feel sexual attraction towards either sex.

That doesn’t mean that an asexual person can’t have or enjoy sex, but it won’t be driven by sexual attraction towards the person they are having sex with. Of course many asexual people will not want or enjoy sex but some do and that doesn’t mean they can’t be asexual, more that their motivation and enjoyment of the activity comes from something different to sexual attraction.

@Clymene

Guide leaders are not trained in phse and shouldn't be teaching it

They aren't!

@LondonWolf

If you can't see that this is not being taught to the members at all then you are very stupid or wilfully missing the point

No I don’t think I am actually but thanks for your reply

So, you don't understand the difference between a social media post and teaching the subject. That clears up that question then.

@LondonWolf

It’s inappropriate for multiple reasons but the easiest one for me is “don’t worry I can be here in your room/shower-bathroom block/help you with your periods if needed, be around while you are dressed/undressed etc because I am asexual”

If you can’t see the issues here you are very stupid or wilfully missing the point.

Why would that be the case any more than a straight women would say that she could help with those things? A straight woman will not feel sexual orientation towards females just as an asexual woman will not feel sexual attraction towards females. I don’t see how being asexual opens up a door to be able to abuse women/ girls any more than being straight would do so. The fact that straight women are attracted to males and asexual women are not is presumably irrelevant to a club which only welcomes females so why on earth would you think an asexual leader more dangerous to girls than a straight one?

@Clymene

Guide leaders are not trained in phse and shouldn't be teaching it

They're not teaching it.

@RedToothBrush

Because maybe some young girls going through puberty are confused and scared about their sexual orientation and don't know if they're "normal" or not?

Why not teach them that sexual feelings don't start at 10 or even 14 for a lot of girls and this is normal.

It does not mean that they are asexual. It means they are still developing and not yet an adult even though they may wish to be older than they are.

And maybe teach them not to apply pressure to their peers over the necessity to label your sexuality before adulthood.

Novel concept to teach children that its ok to be a child and not have to feel they have to be an object of sexual desire or be full of sexual desire before adulthood, i know.

Absolutely agree with this.

It's classic frothing over something that isn't actually happening.

@LondonWolf

It’s inappropriate for multiple reasons but the easiest one for me is “don’t worry I can be here in your room/shower-bathroom block/help you with your periods if needed, be around while you are dressed/undressed etc because I am asexual”

If you can’t see the issues here you are very stupid or wilfully missing the point.

Do you realise how offensive that statement is? Or do you just not care?