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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Is girl guides single sex again?

88 replies

Chilledp · 25/05/2023 19:28

Does anyone know if girl guides have applied some common sense yet? I.e. Just available for girls/ female children once again ?
I did look on their website but couldn't see any clarification. But that may just be me not being able to navigate to the right page, clicked on a few that I thought might clarify but couldn't find any info.
Thank you

OP posts:
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Polari · 29/05/2023 04:10

Patchworksack · 25/05/2023 19:31

Or do you mean do they allow trans (AMAB) children?

Sex isn’t assigned it’s observed.

Beamur · 13/06/2023 08:53

I wish I was surprised.
Scouting/Guiding must be extremely attractive to abusers. Lots of opportunities for meeting young people in a trusting environment.
There is training and there are rules, but it doesn't take much to get around them if you are determined.
A friend of a friend is a Scout Leader and started helping with a unit with an older man. This other Leader persisted in holding meetings and activities with himself as sole Leader in charge. This is not allowed. The friends friend tried to stop this but the other Leader was adamant that this was what he had always done and wasn't going to stop. Even if he's not abusive it's really dangerous. I think in the end he flagged it with more senior people but I don't know what happened next.
I think I'm right in saying that a class action due to historic abuse in the US has brought American scouting to the brink of bankruptcy.
The whole premise of these organisations rely a lot on goodwill and a willingness to follow the rules.

RedToothBrush · 13/06/2023 10:35

Beamur · 13/06/2023 08:53

I wish I was surprised.
Scouting/Guiding must be extremely attractive to abusers. Lots of opportunities for meeting young people in a trusting environment.
There is training and there are rules, but it doesn't take much to get around them if you are determined.
A friend of a friend is a Scout Leader and started helping with a unit with an older man. This other Leader persisted in holding meetings and activities with himself as sole Leader in charge. This is not allowed. The friends friend tried to stop this but the other Leader was adamant that this was what he had always done and wasn't going to stop. Even if he's not abusive it's really dangerous. I think in the end he flagged it with more senior people but I don't know what happened next.
I think I'm right in saying that a class action due to historic abuse in the US has brought American scouting to the brink of bankruptcy.
The whole premise of these organisations rely a lot on goodwill and a willingness to follow the rules.

I do think it can be easy wherever there are adults and kids.

The example you give though is different in 2023 to 1985 though for two reasons.

  1. the other leader has a responsibility to report to district if sessions are being held with only one adult. District then has a responsibility to act - which can include removing the person from scouting.
  2. parents are much more aware that is simply not ok for their kid to be around a single adult. Again they can remove child / report.

I also need to point out that scouting has gained a bad reputation and this puts off parents from letting their kids join. However in a sense it also means the organisation is much more aware of the issues than much smaller groups which operate with kids - smaller organisations have even less oversight. We are now seeing that what happened in scouting has been widespread in sport - potentially at an extent that's bigger after the stuff in scouting has come out.

I don't think any organisation can be perfect unfortunately. But I do think it's good that:

According to the association, 96% of claims related to offences that happened prior to 2013 - with many from the 1960s to 1990s. But some have happened more recently, including in the last few years.

Whilst there clearly are still issues, I hope that historic claims in 20 - 30 years time are significantly lower than now.

ArabeIIaScott · 13/06/2023 10:43

' a key problem was "safeguarding policy relies much on the integrity of the adult involved".
"Scout leaders who sexually abused children in their care are by their very nature highly manipulative, secretive, devious and opportunistic individuals. And their very aim is to separate a child from the group in order to facilitate that abuse."'

This lawyer should have a word with the Scottish government. Especially Shona Robison.

'there’s “no evidence” predatory men ever had to “pretend to be anything else” to “carry out abusive behaviour”.'

Shona Robison squirms at questions over trans butcher Andrew Miller admitting abducting girl, 11

THE architect of Scotland's controversial gender reforms was left struggling for answers when she was asked about the conviction of Andrew Miller.The trans b...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rorIpK1wEFU

Bewilderedandhurt · 13/06/2023 10:51

It's lovely for girls to have their own space to meet and do activities.
Such a shame that boys are not able to in Scouting!

Melroses · 13/06/2023 11:02

Surely cases, rather than being quietly settled out of court, should be part of an annual report, so that it can be seen how well safeguarding practices are actually working?

The girls in the article are the same age and younger than my children and we were assured that safeguarding would prevent the scandals that had preceded the new laws. However, people who abuse will always find a way to be where children are and constantly adapt, so safeguarding needs to take that into account and there needs to be some objective measure visible.

nothingcomestonothing · 13/06/2023 18:08

Bewilderedandhurt · 13/06/2023 10:51

It's lovely for girls to have their own space to meet and do activities.
Such a shame that boys are not able to in Scouting!

Are you hard of reading? Neither boys nor girls have that, as anyone of either sex can now join Scouts or Guides as long as they have special feelings, or say they do That's the point of the thread Hmm

Bewilderedandhurt · 14/06/2023 14:03

@nothingcomestonothing
You are clearly looking at this from a trans/gender identifying prospective. I was meaning that boys and girls can go to scouting but only girls are accepted in guiding (or perhaps those identifying as girls)
I didn't read the whole thread and was only commenting on the OP statement.

nothingcomestonothing · 14/06/2023 14:51

Bewilderedandhurt · 14/06/2023 14:03

@nothingcomestonothing
You are clearly looking at this from a trans/gender identifying prospective. I was meaning that boys and girls can go to scouting but only girls are accepted in guiding (or perhaps those identifying as girls)
I didn't read the whole thread and was only commenting on the OP statement.

Boys and girls can go to scouts, and boys and girls can go to guides. The only difference is that scouts say that, and guides don't. Anyone can go to either, it's just that guiding lies/obfuscates about it.

Your post was just 'but what about the poor menz'

Bewilderedandhurt · 14/06/2023 16:19

@nothingcomestonothing
Not quite, Scouting openly admits girls and boys as their policies, advertising and media channels portray and have male and female leaders.
Guiding on the other hand admits only males if they identify as female or are trans which is quite a different entry requirement. A boy, being a boy cannot be a girl guide in my understanding of the association policy.

nothingcomestonothing · 14/06/2023 17:05

Bewilderedandhurt · 14/06/2023 16:19

@nothingcomestonothing
Not quite, Scouting openly admits girls and boys as their policies, advertising and media channels portray and have male and female leaders.
Guiding on the other hand admits only males if they identify as female or are trans which is quite a different entry requirement. A boy, being a boy cannot be a girl guide in my understanding of the association policy.

How is that different to what I said? Both sexes can go to both, but guides try to hide that and scouts don't.

Males who identify as female are still males. A 'boy being a boy' can be a guide, because a boy who identifies as a girl is still a boy. The only different entry requirement is saying words which are not factually true.

Ramblingnamechanger · 14/06/2023 19:45

Abuse in the scouts was discussed on Woman’s Hour yesterday.

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