Relationship Between Girl Scouts & Planned Parenthood?

Back in March C-FAM broke the news that the Girl Scouts of America (GSA) and their parent organization, World Association of Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), distributed Planned Parenthood sex education brochures — for HIV positive youth — during a meeting for young people at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.  Soon after, C-FAM documented the well-established relationship between the Girl Scouts and Planned Parenthood.

Mariellen Rechtin is a concerned parent and former Girl Scout leader from Ohio who, deeply troubled by the C-FAM reports, began to conduct her own research into the relationship between Planned Parenthood and the Girl Scouts.

Below are clips from Mariellen Rechtin’s research on the Girl Scouts, as well as links to the sources:

Since the 1990’s the Girl Scouts organization (both GSUSA WAGGGS) has migrated in a more radical, feminist, new age direction.  Consider:  1) “God” being made optional in the Oath; 2) various cases of Planned Parenthood invited to do badge work in councils around the U.S. 3) Radical Feminist, pro-abortion, and lesbian speakers such as Charlotte Bunch, Kavita Ramdas, and Dr. Johnetta Cole receiving awards or speaking at conferences 4) the activist involvement by the World Association of Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) at the United Nations. 

Most telling about the Girl Scouts position on the issues of sexual education, contraception distribution to adolescents and abortion are the words posted on the WAGGGS website for the Commission on the Status of Women conference.  It states:

“We demand access to comprehensive sexuality information, services and supplies for all young people.  We need it today – and today needed to be yesterday.  The young people from more than 20 countries and every continent collectively demand their sexual and reproductive rights:

-- All young people must have access to comprehensive sexuality education and sexual and reproductive health services, including contraception and emergency contraception….

-- Accessible, affordable and safe abortion should be made part of the minimum package of sexual and reproductive services.”

When this page is compared to the same coverage of the same day at the conference on International Planned Parenthood Federation’s webpage, one will note that the text and photograph are identical.

In some of its badge requirements, WAGGGS clearly is encouraging a permissive sexuality “protected” by condoms.  Consider the AIDS badge which lists as requirements drawing male and female bodies and identifying the body fluids capable of carrying HIV, visiting a Family Planning Clinic, demonstrate putting a condom on a finger or other suitable device, etc.   An Adolescent Health Badge was developed by WAGGGS and Family Health International as a two year pilot program for eventual availability around the world.

On the GSA website, there is also the “Our Rights, Our Responsibilities” Patch .  Under Section 1, The Right to be Me, there is a link to the UK Children’s Rights Web site which encourages a “Red Ribbon Party” for AIDS.  One of the suggestions for the party is cake sale, and it even encourages the making of a “condom cake” (NOTE: the link worked in April, but was removed a few months later).

A reasonable person could conclude that while WAGGGS/GSUSA may not “force its position” on any individual troop or Girl Scout in the U.S., it has clearly chosen to “take a stance on the issues of sex education, contraception and abortion”.

WAGGGS as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) partnered with the UNFPA, which has a mission to make contraception and abortion available to young people world wide in order to prevent HIV/AIDS and unwanted pregnancy, the goal being to improve health and reduce poverty.

More recently, WAGGS endorsed and helped to develop the Guantajuato Statement (NGO Position Statement) that emerged from the World Conference on Youth, in Mexico City in August, 2010. The statement included the following: (entire document can be found here)

“We demand governments…guarantee the rights of young people including…the right to health, including sexual and reproductive health and rights”

“We commit…to continue working to achieve development through…evidence based comprehensive sexuality education to achieve Millenium Development Goals (MDG) 5 and 6” 

Note:  Evidence based comprehensive sexuality education is sex education that understands that there is no such thing as telling a teen not to have sex and then thinking that they are actually going to listen to you.

“We commit…to continue working to achieve development through…Guarantee the full realization of the highest level of physical mental and social health for young people…above all the target lagging farthest behind, MDG 5b – Universal Access to Reproductive Health by 2015”.  Note: MDG5b is all about contraception access for all young people, safe abortion and comprehensive sexuality education.

“We commit…to continue working to achieve development through…Fully recognize young people’s sexual and reproductive rights, particularly the right to choose, through achieving universal access to confidential, youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services including access to evidence-based comprehensive sexuality education, in informal and non-formal settings.  Implement key effective interventions in the continuum of care for maternal health, including access to a full range of contraceptives and safe abortion.” (emphasis mine)

“We commit…to continue working to achieve development through…that Governments recognize LGBT (Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transsexual) as part of the spectrum of gender identities and ensure that young people that identify themselves as such have their Human Rights upheld.”

Mariellen ultimately came to the conclusion that her family could no longer be involved with the Girl Scouts. Moreover, she now believes that some agendas promoted within the GSA are incompatible with a Christian worldview.