Girl Scouts can now earn an “LGBTQ+ Pride Month” patch to add to their collection of “Black History,” “Hispanic Heritage,” and “Native American Heritage” patches, according to new guidance from the national organization.
Scouts grades K-5 must participate in 3 of the 20 suggested “LGBTQ+ Pride Month Celebration Fun Patch Activities” to earn the honor, while girls grades 6-12 must complete six.
To collect the badge, Scouts can “attend an LGBTQ+ Pride celebration,” “read about the Stonewall Uprising in 1969,” and “create a piece of art that celebrates how families come in all shapes, sizes, and kinds.” Some activities are meant for all levels of Girl Scouts, while others are meant only for older Scouts.
The announcement follows backlash to recent Pride Month advertising campaigns. Target came under fire and was forced to pull its “PRIDE” collection, which included “gender neutral” children’s swimsuits, “tuck-friendly” women’s swimwear, and LGBTQ merchandise designed by a Satanist. Bud Light also faced a boycott for its collaboration with transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney.
The Girl Scouts organization’s guidance document announcing the badge urges adult leaders to “familiarize yourself with words and concepts … commonly used to describe lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer identity” and reminds leaders “you don’t have to know everything before talking to your troop.”
The Girl Scouts Shop is also selling Pride Month merchandise, including pins, rainbow flag patches, and a tank top that reads “all places should be safe spaces.”
The Girl Scouts organization drew criticism in October 2020 for tweeting out “congratulations” to Supreme Court justice Amy Coney Barrett for becoming the fifth woman appointed to the High Court. The Girl Scouts deleted the tweet and released a statement saying, “We are neither red nor blue, but Girl Scout GREEN. We are here to lift up girls and women.”
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