The ‘Girl Scouts Have Lost Their Way,’ Head of Christian Alternative Says of LGBT Controversy
The head of a Christian alternative to the Girl Scouts USA says the 111-year-old organization has drifted from its foundational principles and no longer represents the views of many families.
“So many alumnae have grieved that Girl Scouts have lost their way as they witness a true loss of a national treasure,” Patti Garibay, founder and national executive director of American Heritage Girls, told Fox News Digital.
The Girl Scouts USA has stirred controversy this year by releasing LGBTQ+ Pride Month patches and stating it allows biological boys who identify as girls into its organization. The Girls Scouts website includes a list of LGBTQ+ Pride Month activities. This week, a local Girl Scouts chapter form circulating on social media asked campers to list their preferred pronouns.
Garibay left the Girl Scouts in the 1990s when it voted to make the word “God” optional in its oath, she told Fox News Digital. She formed American Heritage Girls in 1995. The Christian organization has chapters in all 50 states and 15 countries and has a goal of “changing girls’ lives and leading them towards a more Christ-centered life,” according to its website.
American Heritage Girls is for girls ages 4-18.
“Straying so far from the vision of its foundress, GSUSA has once again entangled itself in the ever-shifting winds of today’s culture,” Garibay told Fox News Digital.
She added, “Is today’s GSUSA the Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts – or something in between?”
The American Heritage Girls program is “dedicated to the mission of building women of integrity through service to God, family, community and country,” its website says. “AHG girls across the nation and the globe participate in badge programs, service projects, leadership opportunities, and outdoor experiences, all with an emphasis on Christian values and family involvement.”
Girl Scouts USA told Fox News Digital, “We’re proud that Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) is an inclusive organization that uplifts all girls.”
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Kelly Sullivan/Stringer
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
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