Are Girl Scouts Scouting Girls? Ind. Lawmaker thinks so

Are the Girl Scouts scouting girls? An Indiana lawmaker thinks so.

While the organization is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, an Indiana state representative Bob Morris claims that the group ""have entered into a close strategic affiliation with Planned Parenthood," which he claimed is trying to "sexualiz(e) young girls through the Girl Scouts."

According to a report today from NBC, Rep. Morris, who represents Fort Wayne, insists he won't go along with a resolution meant to honor the Girls Scouts on the organization's 100th anniversary.�

"After talking to some well-informed constituents, I did a small amount of Web-based research, and what I found is disturbing," Morris wrote Saturday to�Republican House colleagues in a letter obtained by the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette.

"Many parents are abandoning the Girl Scouts because they promote homosexual lifestyles," his letter continued. "In fact, the Girl Scouts education seminar girls are directed to study the example of role models. Of the fifty role models listed, only three have a briefly-mentioned religious background - all the rest are feminists, lesbians, or Communists. World Net Daily, in a May 2009 article, states that "Girl Scout Troops are no longer allowed to pray or sing traditional Christmas Carols."

He urged his fellow legislators to not support the resolution saying "I challenge each of you to examine these matters more closely before you extend your name and your reputation to endorse a group that has been subverted in the name of liberal progressive politics and the destruction of traditional American family values."

He also pulled his two daughters from the Scouts.

"I have two daughters who have been active in the Girl Scouts of Limberlost Council in Northeastern Indiana. Now that I am aware of the influence of Planned Parenthood within GSA and other surprisingly radical policies of GSA, my two daughters will instead become active in American Heritage Girls Little Flowers organization. In this traditional group they will learn about values and principles that will not confuse their conservative Hoosier upbringing."

MSNBC contacted Michelle Tompkins, a spokeswoman for the Girl Scouts, who responded to Morris' assertions by telling NBC station WISE of Fort Wayne, "Not only is Rep. Morris off the mark on his claims, it's also unfortunate in his limited research that he failed to discover that, since 1917, every first lady has served as the honorary leader of Girl Scouts, including Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush and Laura Bush."

"We believe that leadership is about hearing from all sides of an issue before making up one's mind," Tompkins said. "We only wish we had the chance to speak with the freshman representative before he distributed his letter."

For its part, Planned Parenthood of Indiana called Morris' comments inflammatory, misleading, woefully inaccurate and harmful,

"Planned Parenthood currently has no formal partnership with the Girl Scouts, but supports their mission and recognizes their century of contributions to our society," the organization said in a statement to NBC station WTHR of Indianapolis.

The MSNBC report also said, "Morris owns a chain of nutrition stores, but it's not the fat and sugar in Girl Scout cookies that have him riled up."