Submitted by Emily Mullen, GSCO Volunteer Support Specialist
Metro Denver
Denver
Happy Pride!
Black Trans Lives Matter. In 2019, advocates tracked at least 27 deaths of transgender or gender non-conforming people in the U.S. due to fatal violence, the majority of whom were Black transgender women. In 2020, so far, at least 15 transgender or gender non-conforming people have been fatally shot or killed by other violent means. We say “at least” because too often these stories go unreported — or misreported. (source: https://www.hrc.org/resources/violence-against-the-trans-and-gender-non-conforming-community-in-2020)
This year, pride will look different for a lot of people. At Girl Scouts of Colorado, we stand with every LGBTQI+ person this Pride month and beyond. We know there is a lot of work to be done daily to practice being an ally. We encourage you to have age appropriate conversations with your Girl Scouts about LGBTQI+ identities. Below is a noncomprehensive list on how to practice allyship for the LGBTQI+ community:
Listen. Open yourself up to understanding without the desire to be heard. Respect the voices of those within the LGBTQI+ community and use your platform of privilege to raise those voices up.
Learn. Do the work to educate yourself; it is not the responsibility of someone within the LGBTQI+ community to educate you. Google is an extremely helpful tool if you ever have questions, however, it is important to check the resources you are using for credibility. We have also linked some helpful resources at the bottom of this post.
Grow. It’s okay to not be perfect – messing up is in our nature. Apologize for your mistakes and move on. Learn from your mistakes and do better next time. Always continue learning. An ally’s work is never done. Language is always changing, which means continuing education is crucial.
Helpful Resources for Engaging Youth
Colorado Based Resources
Questions? Email GirlExperience@gscolorado.org.
We want to hear how your girl is using her Girl Scout skills by taking initiative, caring for the community, and Girl Scouting at home. She can send in her story here.