America today has taken huge leaps and bounds toward becoming more liberal. In a nation where the Supreme court has recently redefined marriage by accepting same-sex couples and has commenced a shift toward unisex bathrooms to accommodate for transgender individuals, it is clear that gender barriers and traditional roles are finally starting to fall. One of the most recent debates over this subject occurred in Saint Rosa, California with a small group of girls, a large dose of courage and a demand to be accepted into the exclusive, male, club, the Boy Scouts. Julie Turkewitz, journalist at the world famous newspaper company, the New York Times, explores this pressing argument highlighting one group of many girls who would simply prefer to spend their time tying knots and camping, than selling cookies as a Girl Scout. Speaking to anyone interested in the fierce debate toward the survival of gender roles in this country, she uses the direct opinions toward concerned parents and legal proof of obstruction to represent the struggles these girls are facing in a journey toward acceptance in this timeless club. While Turkewitz does not represent her own opinion on the topic, she does provide that of a few parents who worry that admitting girls into the Boy Scouts of America is a mistake. One mother of Boy Scouts members claims that the addition of coed camping and concerns her the most. She states "Would I want a girl sleeping in my son's tent? No." While many may have ideas to solve these concerns, the truth is, many share similar concerns and confusion about why these girls can't just focus on changing the Girl Scouts into what they would prefer, rather than becoming a boy scout. By including direct quotes from parents showing their concerns, Turkewitz proves that this is not simply a matter of a group of men keeping girls away from their aspirations, but rather, a legitimate conflict which parents, including mothers are worried about as well. On top of having to fight the power of concerned parents everywhere, these girls demanding acceptance also face legal hurdles. Turkewitz includes a small excerpt of a federal law which "prohibits discrimination by sex", but "carves out an exception for Boy Scouts, allowing them to exclude members based on gender." The Boy Scouts have built a powerful legacy making them one of the nations most prominent values-based organizations, with that, comes advantages and rules which are applied to advance their membership and success. This group of girls is facing such a huge problem that they must not on knock down the barriers placed by common society, but also by the federal law itself. There is no telling whether girls will be able to join the Boy Scouts in the future, but what is certain is the overwhelming hardships females face today when facing as powerful an organization as the Boy Scouts of America.
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