Belong 2 linking up with Scouting Ireland. I feel this is extremely inappropriate

[Nonpoliticalmum]

Scouting Ireland is marching with Belong 2 in Dublin Pride. Given the historical background & legal cases within Scouting Ireland I do not feel comfortable with this. Surely scouting is supposed to be non political.
Parents pay huge membership fees, surely they should be consulted.
Also they are launching a "Rainbow Award" with Belong 2 according to their fb page which has comments turned off..

I don't like the association with an organisation like Belong 2. Organisations like Belong 2 & TENI are support services to lgbtq families & adolescents. I don't agree with them being allow infiltrate groups such as scouts which charges parents membership. @Marblessolveeverything I feel that social education such as lgb & trans should be left to parents to discuss & educate their children if & when they as parents feel it's appropriate. Children are accepting, my children have never questioned why their friend has two dads, it's just accepted.

Well, my son is in cubs and I'm delighted to hear about the scouts inclusivity! I was also thrilled to see a big pride flag flying in the GAA pitch this week. I live in a tiny village where no one would have been safe to come out when I was young. My son said its great for gay people Mam and that was it. I think you are over thinking it.

The problem is with that approach some families won’t give that accurate and vital information. Hence the need for organisations to ensure all children get the message your and my children have had the benefit of.

Sadly there are still hateful people telling children horrible homophobic things. It is the same principle as sex education, research has shown if the schools don’t provide it then some won’t be educated or educated incorrectly.

OP I think you need to do some self-reflection to determine if you’re as comfortable with homosexuality as you say you are. Your posts suggest otherwise.

At the end of the day social teaching is up to parents, it's their job. I would prefer if Scouting Ireland did this iniative themselves without Belong 2 who advocate for men in womens spaces.

I agree @Nonpoliticalmum

The parents should have been consulted beforehand.

Trying to normalise the extreme kink/fetish brigade who've infiltrated the LGB banner is abhorrent in my view. They're kids for goodness sake!

This isn’t social education it is human education. The idea of an Ireland where every child’s hasn’t had access to information that could be life saving to them is not acceptable to me. We as a nation put people in prison for their sexual orientation. We now need to make sure we don’t put young people in their internal prisons due to them not seeing allies.

You do sound like there is an underlying issue so I do think some self reflection would help you identify what is making you uncomfortable.

Exactly & you couldn't get a more wholesome activity than scouts. It's just not the place for promoting sexuality. Sadly I will not be sending my children back in September, they absolutely love it but I don't agree with any organisation like Belong To coming into a group with their own agenda. I do not belive men can be women & I do not want men in my spaces. Belong 2 are advocating for Transwoman to have the same rights as women. I do not want my girls being told men are entitled to be in their spaces under the guise of "be kind".

Pride consists of plenty of diversity and any publications I have seen have indicated what is family friendly and what is adult appropriate.

Do you believe men should be allowed in women's spaces?

I don't think you could be more patronising to the op if you tried 🙄

Pride has become a free for all..it isn't about LGB anymore it's all about the T and those with fetishes.
If we could get back to supporting lesbians and gay men you'd find most people wouldn't object to pride being celebrated in primary schools/scouts etc

@OkPedro 🙏 Belong 2 are constantly advocating for trans women to have the same rights as females. This is an organisation I do not want near my kids & I am frankly very surprised at the collaboration.

Scouting Ireland is currently working on a neurodiversity strategy to ensure all our ND members are fully supported. Should that just be left to parents too? If you’re happy for us to welcome our ND members, why can’t we do the same for our LGB members?

Like Eurovision is billed as family friendly? 🤔

Hi OP, ask for this to move to Feminism to get more constructive advice.

My gripe is the collaboration with Belong 2. I notice you left the t out of lgb.
Belong 2 advocate for transwomen to have the same rights as females. I do not agree with this & I will never let my children belive that it's acceptable to have men in their spaces. So maybe do a bit of research into the organisation Scouting Ireland is collaborating with, their social media only scratches the surface. It's not an organisation I want my children involved with.

I posted it here as I wanted to get an Irish opinion. Belong 2 is an Irish organisation. I see the Sea Scouts aren't involved in this "collaboration".

Yes belong2 and teni. My daughter's secondary school celebrates pride but thankfully we've had no involvement from belong2 and teni 🤞

FGS, forget Be Kind and Open your eyes to what's really going on here!

Pride is no longer about LGB but all about the added fetish nonsense.

Belong2 advocate that Transwomen are women. They want boys to be allowed to take part in girls sporting events which will naturally include being allowed to change in the girls changing rooms and sleep in the same dorms as the girls if the boy decides to identity as a girl on that particular occasion. As a parent I find this horrifying.

@Iloveshihtzus

This belongs in Craicnet not the feminism board as it's specifically an Irish issue!

@Nonpoliticalmum surely taking them out of scouting isn’t impacting by staying and engaging in discussion would make more sense?

The trans issue is one tiny aspect of a much broader important information. I will try explain where I am but it isn’t yes or no.

Do I believe in trans ? Yes I worked with a trans woman back in the 90s. Do I think there should be woman only spaces, yes. With the proviso we provide space for everyone, to me that means changing how we use space:

So my suggestion would be for example for changing rooms, toilets etc to be separate proper individual spaces that individuals can use. To me this solves so many issues about age of different sex children in changing rooms etc.

i think there is a hell of a lot of scaremongering and hate interspersed by people who are afraid while accompanied by men obviously pretending to be trans for access. That isn’t a trans issue that’s a predator issue.

I hope the above gives an idea of my thoughts. I think it is a challenge. I think a lot of children are experimental and by all means let them dress, name etc. I don’t agree with medical intervention in children. The same way I would not agree to a teen girl having a boob job- does that make sense?

As a scouting parent whose children go on overnights & weekends away I am absolutely not comfortable with this collaboration. It appears to be a very big push & I can't understand why TENI & Belong To get such a huge foot in the door to these youth organisations. As parents we pay 280 euro membership per year with 140 for each additional child. Parents deserve to be consulted here. I would agree to a meeting celebrating lgb families & leaders. I have no idea about any of the leaders sexuality nor is it my business. They are wonderfully kids to my dc & volunteer so much of their time to giving the children amazing experiences.

I agree with you that Trans should have their own trans spaces. But I will never agree to sharing mine or my daughters. I will not let my children be bullied & silenced into thinking they need to give up their rights as females. Which is why I object so strongly to Belong To infiltrating Scouting Ireland.

It isn’t it never was, there is a children’s Eurovision. This keeps getting thrown up, while completely ignoring the heterosexual antics of several acts over the last twenty years.

I appreciate you have a different view but please don’t insult people for expressing theirs.