Rightwing Christian Fanatics Now targeting American Girl!

Madison, WI-based American Girl doll line contributes to a youth program called "Girls Inc." Deferring to later all further satire about the corporatization of female youth, from this youth program's website we find the following:

Girls Incorporated is a national nonprofit youth organization dedicated to inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold. With roots dating to 1864, Girls Inc has provided vital educational programs to millions of American girls, particularly those in high-risk, underserved areas. Today, innovative programs help girls confront subtle societal messages about their value and potential, and prepare them to lead successful, independent, and fulfilling lives.

Fanatical rightwing christian organizations are urging a boycott against American Girl, claiming Girls Inc. programs "support abortion, oppose abstinence-only education for girls, and condone lesbianism." Though the advocacy pages of their website do mention that Girls Inc. supports "a woman's freedom of choice, a constitutional right established by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1973 in Roe vs. Wade," I couldn't find anything that mentions abortion or "lesbian-ism."

While girls age 12 to 14 are taught "the positive aspects of abstinence," further education about pregnancy prevention appears to be included only in programs for ages 15-18.

In the advocacy pages at the Girls Inc. website, the only other statements I could find that might even come close to the fanatics' claims are as follows:

Working with girls and young women, we also endeavor to eliminate sexism, racism, homophobia and other forms of discrimination.

We recognize that any sizable group of girls includes those who face issues related to their sexual orientation or that of a family member and who face discrimination based on this sexual orientation. Girls have a right to positive, supportive environments and linkages to community resources for dealing with issues of sexual orientation

Perhaps the fanatics are afraid children who attend this program will influence their own children, who in turn will start to resist oppressive fanatical dogma. Perhaps the fanatics are merely afraid they'll end up having to talk to their children about the god-forbidden topic of sexuality. Or perhaps they have even more sinister motives for wanting kids kept in the dark.

Whatever the case, most damaging to the fanatical christian con-artist is probably the fact that a non-religious, girl-power program actually gets results:

A three-year evaluation found: older teens who completed the program were half as likely to have sex and one-third as likely to get pregnant in the year following the program as those who participated less or not at all; younger teens who completed the program were half as likely to have sexual intercourse as those who participated less or not at all.

I bet very few rightwing christian programs can match that--despite faith-based government subsidies! If news of the success of Girl Inc. spreads, the christian fanatics might loose their ability to continue to scam taxpayers. Of course, don't expect the fanatical christian con-artist to complain if their followers grow suspicious that the only way such high success at pregnancy prevention could be achieved is either by turning little girls into lesbians or by witchcraft. Might that account for the use of the appendage of "-ism?" Perhaps some will opt to return the kindness, and accuse the fanatics of condoning "straight-ism" and subject their churches to colorful pickets and ridicule!

Contrary to their claims, it's doubtful that very many christian rightwingers would buy or invest in the American Girl doll line in the first place. These toys are intended to educate kids about history. Rank-and-file rightwing christian fanatics have little affinity for education, and even less for history. Approaching $100 per doll with a single accompanying story book, American Girl is probably a tad expensive for the gullible wages of most of these fanatics. A full package of books, clothes, furniture, and other accessories for a single doll can run hundreds more. That's thousands of dollars for the entire collection. These toys would be more common for wealthy kids, and most wealthy rightwingers could care less about the homophobic and anti-choice obsessions of their fanatical christian co-conspirators.

A boycott will probably have negligible impact, and American Girl founder and tycoon, Pleasant Roland, probably isn't the least worried. Corporate legends in Madison have it that she is following her own vision which, unlike that of the fanatics, is all about making tons of money and using some of it to empower future generations of women and artists. Ironically, this attempt at a boycott may ultimately do more to promote Girls Inc., and American Girl as a consequence, by drawing attention to how successful Girl Inc. programs are. It makes one wonder who's really behind this benign threat of a boycott.

Were it not imperative to deal with this distraction, a better discussion might have included how accessible Girls Inc. programs are for girls of low-income families, and how to implement analogous programs in public education, so all of society benefits.

Perhaps it would have been even more fun to discuss the corporatization of female youth. Maybe another day.

(Oh ye kids of rightwingers, thou shalt not read the Kinsey Report! ;-)