Why do Brownies/GG actively recruit at Pride?

[LiterallyProblematic]

My niece is about to become Brownie and was sent this. I know they’ve drunk the kool aid but doing their marketing at Pride? Can’t understand it.

@averylongtimeago there are still many LGB people who go to pride too. Maybe a child of someone who is trans would also like to feel that Brownies and Guides is inclusive to them too. Why wouldn't that be ok?

I think GG get free ‘advertising’ at pride. I know GG has been part of pride in Cambridge and Leicester- walking around with whistles and glitter.

GG can’t win. Sometimes they’re seen as some ‘Christian’ organisation stuck in the past of knitting and hostess badges then they’re all woke.

Nerrsnerr you misunderstand me I think. I don't think any of us has a problem with girls whose parents are from an LGBT family joining guiding.

Avery many families go to pride though, whether that be a family with a gay, lesbian or trans parent. If a child who is at pride sees they are at the event they are more likely to think it's inclusive.

Pride events are a good thing for many people. I know of many people who go to pride every year who are LGB and don't feel pushed out by any group.

Last time I went to our Pride it was stalls for Unison and wedding venues.

It’s just somewhere businesses and organisations can advertise, get new members and revenue, like owt else.

We take our kids to Pride in my city and have previously marched with PFLAG. I see tons of kids there. I would imagine it's a good way to reach a lot of people, Pride events can be huge.

It's also a way to try and dispel any idea that they aren't welcoming of LGBTQ+ people, especially with their history of clinging to religious belief requirements so tightly.

Pride is not a family friendly event. I find it disturbing that Brownies are recruiting there.

Pride became family friendly as lesbians made it so in order to enable more of them to attend as lesbians, in keeping with other women tend to have caring responsibilities for children. Later, as gay men got the ability to adopt they also took children. I can see why the kink and some of the risque behaviour makes some parents uncomfortable, but in my experience, it's not that huge a part of it. I've never seen any "puppies" at my local Pride when I've attended with my kids.

But whether you find it family friendly or not, there are lots of parents there with or without their children and they (more so than their kids) are the target for Brownie recruitment as it's parents that make the decision. So why would it be disturbing that they are recruiting there?

I've attended both London and Brighton Pride a few times and observed that it's a sex-based event: e.g. men wandering around in leather straps with their arses hanging out, dildoes, butt plugs, etc openly on sale, scantily-clad men rolling around on the grass with one another.

OK, that's fine. But it's not family friendly.

Ok, so you don't believe Gays & Lesbians are capable of raising decent children. That's sad. I think we are. I hope my daughter's can join the Brownies in spite of youse Rocaille

@Rocaille

It disturbs me that an organisation I'm entrusting my 7 year old daughter to appears to have no sense of appropriate boundaries with regard to sex & children.

Them having a stall at pride doesn't mean that they don't have appropriate boundaries, though.

If they were taking a Brownie troop along, you may have a point at some Prides. But if it's a stall with adult representatives which sex/child boundary is being crossed?

Ok, so you don't believe Gays & Lesbians are capable of raising decent children.

Who, me? Where did I say that?

If they were taking a Brownie troop along, you may have a point at some Prides. But if it's a stall with adult representatives which sex/child boundary is being crossed?

It's clearly not right to promote children's activities at an adult sex event. Would you condone Girl Guides operating within a strip joint or a swingers club, where heterosexual men and women gather? This is just common sense. I can't believe I'm having to make these points! 😭

Pride has become totally corporatised.
My friend used to go back in the day where going on a pride march was a radical act.
He hates what it's become.

Yeah seems odd. GG is surely really well known.

Pride now is all things to all people it seems. Mainly corporations feeling all progressive, straight people going along for the experience and glitter and... Dunno.

@Pingu21 I don't think she said or meant that at all

GG has loads of lesbian and bi members, both leaders and youth. That isn’t a problem and never has been. I do find it a bit weird that they attend what is essentially a celebration of sexuality, but in all honesty, Pride attendance is essentially mandatory now, whatever uniformed Organisation you represent. Lest your absence be confused with bigotry.
‘Sweird.
But sometimes you have to be seen to support. Rather than just support. That’s not good enough.

I think that it is important to keep anything to do with children as far away as possible from anything to do with sex. Both heterosexual and homosexual sex. The blurring of what should be a very firm boundary concerns me. Pride celebrates adult sexuality. To me, it's no more a place for kids or children's activities than an Ann Summers party.

You'd be - thankfully- hard pushed to find an organisation which excludes kids of LGB and T parents.

@Quillink

I agree if Brownie/GG leaders took a troop of their child members along to Pride. But if it is a stall being ran by adults I don't see the harm in them being there.

There are lesbian and bisexual girls at Pride too. I started attending Pride with my friends when I was still of an age to join Guides (13/14). It would have meant the world to me to see Guides recruiting there (though I never did). And there is Ranger Guides too - lots of girls in that age range (14-18) go to Pride.

FFS! Pride is not some kind of public sex show. Maybe Brighton is different, and I haven't been to London for years, but my local one is one if the family highlights of the year - there are lots of children's activities including a small funfair, bouncy castle, enormous inflatable slides, children's groups running activities and so on.

@Rocaille Gay and bisexual men have daughters, too.

@Quillink

I think that it is important to keep anything to do with children as far away as possible from anything to do with sex. Both heterosexual and homosexual sex. The blurring of what should be a very firm boundary concerns me. Pride celebrates adult sexuality. To me, it's no more a place for kids or children's activities than an Ann Summers party.

You'd be - thankfully- hard pushed to find an organisation which excludes kids of LGB and T parents.

Most of Pride celebrates adult sexuality the same way a wedding does.