Due to her social media posts questioning the organization’s perceived turn towards LGBTQIA+ activism and its introduction of gender sexuality alliance clubs to scouts, the leader of a Girls Scout troop in New Jersey claims she was fired.
In a phone conversation with two members of the Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey council on Wednesday, Alexandra Bougher, who is also the chair of the Bergen County chapter of Moms for Liberty, said she was fired. Right-wing parents’ rights organization Moms for Liberty opposes LGBTQ rights, race, and ethnicity being mentioned in school curricula.
Moms of Liberty was classified as an anti-government group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors extremist groups. Bougher has made a few appearances on Fox News, representing the group.
This week, Bougher wrote on Facebook, “I’m proud to stand up for the safety of our children and will always stand up to adults that push woke indoctrination to minors.” You won’t raise children under my supervision.
NJ Advance Media called and emailed the Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey on Thursday, but they did not respond.
Bougher claimed that although Girls Scout officials would not specify which of her tweets were against their code of conduct, they speculated that it might have been about her comments criticizing a Pride Month promotion post made by the Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey in June.
“Just to be clear, my troop will not be doing this,” Bougher stated Thursday during a phone conversation with NJ Advance Media, adding, “I reposted it.”
She answered, “I suppose that’s the one.” They actually wouldn’t tell me which one it was, but because it was taken off from their website, I’m going to assume it was that one.
Before being fired from her volunteer job, 45-year-old Bougher had been a Girl Scout leader in her hometown of Park Ridge for seven years, having guided roughly thirty girls.
According to her, she has also been vocal about other situations when a transgender adolescent addressed the scouts about gender identification and a church held a scout event with an LGBTQ flag flying in front of it.
Girl Scouts are not about this. Talking about anything sexual with young children is completely inappropriate. That isn’t what a Girl Scout leader does, and it’s not taking place at our meetings.
According to Bougher, she saw the Girl Scouts were evolving into a more activist group a few years ago, but she still led her troop and just didn’t take them to any of those activities.
When some troops took their children to Black Lives Matter marches a few years ago, I witnessed the shift with Girl Scouts. This was not only OK, but they were also kind of encouraging it, saying, “This is so great, get them into activism.”
“This is not what Girl Scouts are about, and it’s dangerous to bring young children there,” we said. We kind of witnessed that shift and a few other things as well, but you know, I kept my mouth quiet and my troop remained buddies with one another. We’ll do our own thing, you know, and they can do those events.”
According to Bougher, the situation escalated early this year after she shared on social media that other local troops were attending activities at a church that displayed a Progressive Pride banner.
The colors pink, light blue, and white, which are used on the transgender pride flag, are combined with brown and black stripes to symbolize neglected LGBTQ+ communities of color.
A pride flag is one thing, but displaying it in front of five-year-olds will start a conversation, and I don’t think a troop leader should have that conversation with a child. It’s completely unacceptable to do that in front of kids. Thus, we requested that they take it off. They wouldn’t. So I posted something on social media. I understand that the church is private, but could you at least take it down while the kids are present if you’re conducting kid-friendly events? Why is it more crucial to display it in front of kids? For example, why?
Additionally, she claimed to have kept her troop away from a church ice cream social event where a 13-year-old transgender kid participated in a gender identification discussion.
I didn’t feel comfortable with the occasion, she claimed, and her parents informed her they weren’t.
Bougher claimed that on Wednesday, Girl Scout leaders informed her that she would no longer serve as a leader, but they did not elaborate on why.
“We’re here today to discuss your leadership role,” they continued, according to Bougher. The decision is definitive, and you will no longer be in charge. We have already done it, therefore we won’t be talking about it or discussing it. That is our ultimate choice, and it won’t be altered. Furthermore, neither you nor your daughter are permitted to be members any longer.
In response to Bougher’s termination, Moms of Liberty posted a picture that seemed to be a screen grab of a message sent by a Girl Scout leader known as a service unit manager. The message urged other leaders to contact the council, which made the decision.
As volunteers, we all strive to set the finest possible example for our Girl Scouts. Please review the mission statements on the website if you have any queries about Girl Scout policies. According to the email, they outlined their positions on a number of crucial subjects in very unambiguous terms.
According to Girl Scout rules, all members are treated equally and the organization is inclusive.
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