A group of young girls (ages 10-13), who call themselves the Unicorns, have requested that they be admitted as Boy Scouts. The Unicorns, who are being guided by one of the mothers of two of the girls, Danelle Jacobs, say that “they would rather be camping and tying knots than selling cookies,” according to the New York Times.
The Unicorns—which includes Allie and Skyler Westover (sisters), Ella Jacobs, Daphne Mortenson and Talyor Alcozer—have filled out applications to become Boy Scouts and expressed their desire to join based on ideas like “inclusion” and “equality.”
“Because we’re girls we can’t participate with boys? When we get into the real world, we’re going to have to work with other people who are, like, not just girls,” said young Ella.
In times where unisex bathrooms and gender-neutral parenting are all the rage, this idea of erasing gender lines once again doesn’t seem too farfetched; but even in that political environment and being in a liberal-Mecca, only two hours north of San Francisco, California, this request from the young girls has been met with some pushback.
A spokeswoman for the Girl Scouts, seemingly a little insulted, refuted the idea that her scouts don’t participate in a wide range of activities; this was in direct response to the comment that Girl Scouts solely “sell cookies.”
“Outdoor experience has really always been a hallmark of what we do. If they want to come back to join us, we’re thrilled to have them,” said Nikki Van Ausdall.
More opposition came as scout leaders brought up the issue of young boys and girls possibly spending nights together in tents, with some offering other possible approaches the Unicorns should go about to reach their goal.
“I have sons. Would I want a girl sleeping in my son’s tent? No,” said one female scout leader from Northern California.
Randy Huffman, another local scout leader, voiced his opinion about the matter: “Maybe their approach should have been to go to the Girl Scouts and say: Instead of painting our nails and clipping our — whatever they do — to do archery and do climbing. Going through that process.”
Although the federal law regarding gender discrimination, Title IX, “carves out an exception for the Boy Scouts, allowing them to exclude members based on gender,” the climate seems just right for the Unicorns to get exactly what they want. Rules allowing gays into the Boy Scouts have been loosened, the SCOTUS decision has legalized gay marriage nationally, and the LBGTQI movement continues to plow full steam ahead.
Soon enough the Boy Scouts will be renamed the “Gender-Neutral Scouts.”
