There are many significant pro-life concerns about the Girl Scout organization. Girl Scouts USA (GSUSA) collaborates with numerous organizations that promote abortion for all women, including adolescent girls. GSUSA is the largest member organization of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), providing 2.6 million1 of its 10 million2 girl and adult members worldwide and paying over 1.2 million dollars3 annually to WAGGGS based on the number of registered GSUSA members4. Through its resources5, non-formal education programs6, policy papers7 and participation in international seminars conferences8, WAGGGS actively advocates for and funds campaigns to expand reproductive/abortion rights. Both GSUSA and WAGGGS delegates regularly participate in various UN conferences, and, as representatives of WAGGGS, advocate specifically on behalf of their 10 million girl members8 for the inclusion of abortion rights on the global stage9. GSUSA continues its membership10, alongside abortion providers Marie Stopes International and International Planned Parenthood Federation, in the Coalition for Adolescent Girls, which includes “abortion-related care” among its goals11. GSUSA confirms12 that its local councils and troops may collaborate with Planned Parenthood.

Every girl member is inextricably linked to all 3 levels of the Girl Scout organization. Each individual girl’s annual registration and dues13, processed through her local council, registers her as a GSUSA member. Additionally, WAGGGS and GSUSA have confirmed that every Girl Scout is a member of WAGGGS.14 Further, every local council promotes and supports15 GSUSA and WAGGGS.

Girl Scout printed materials and on-line content are concerning as well. GSUSA’s Journey series, which is the curriculum used by every Girl Scout council, recommends and promotes many well- known abortion-rights advocates like Gloria Steinem16, Betty Friedan17, Geraldine Ferraro18, and Hillary Clinton19, and organizations that publicly support abortion rights such as Amnesty International20, National Organization For Women (NOW) 21, the Population Council22, and the ACLU23. GSUSA’s official website and social media accounts honor and recommend pro-abortion politicians24 including Nancy Pelosi and Michelle Obama, and media sites such as Teen Vogue25 and Makers26.

With increasing regularity, GSUSA engages the organization and its girl members in a partisan agenda emphasizing pro-abortion politicians and activism. Examples include GSUSA’s encouragement and celebration of girl members’ participation in the 2017 and 2018 Women’s March27; GSUSA’s G.I.R.L. Agenda 2018: Leading Change Through Civic Action event28, featuring keynote speaker Jill Biden alongside Congresswoman Donna Edwards, Rock the Vote’s Carolyn DeWitt, and MSNBC’s Melissa Harris-Perry; GSUSA’s 2017 G.I.R.L. mega event29, the “largest global gathering of girls and influencers,” featuring Chelsea Clinton and Barbara Pierce Bush; and GSUSA’s celebration30 of Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign as the top moment of 2016.

Even the sale of Girl Scout cookies is a concern, as GSUSA makes millions of dollars every year from the licensing fees derived from the production of the cookies31 to further fund their efforts outlined above.

Until the Girl Scouts renounces its support for and promotion of all those organizations referenced above and their pro-abortion advocacy positions, Missouri Right to Life urges citizens to carefully consider whether to participate in or support the Girl Scouts.

Solid pro-life scouting alternatives for girls are available, such as American Heritage Girls (AHG), a “pro-God, pro-family, pro-life organization,” that includes33 among its numerous patches a Respect Life patch that girls of all ages may earn.

Cited references (PDF 2MB)