Would anyone have any “problem” if your daughter’s Girl Scout Troop Leader were a guy?
(And if you’re wondering, no, it doesn’t affect me personally.)
I’m just curious as to what exactly this question is supposed to engender? Does it relate to the current Supreme Court question regarding homosexual Boy Scout troop leaders, and if so, how?
Of course that’s what got me wondering.
However,I didn’t start this thread to debate the gay scout leader case which has been whipped ad nauseum.
This is a separate question.
Maybe we should replace both with "People Scouts’! 
IMO, Girl Scouts differs from mixed gender groups (where any leader is fine) by providing a more open forum for girls to share their sometimes gender-related hopes, fears, problems, etc. With that in mind, I would favor a female leader, whether straight or gay, because the girls can relate to her, and will be more willing to ask her questions, tell her about personal problems, etc.
Can you imagine having to tell your male troop leader that you forgot to bring tampons on the camping trip, or in more serious cases that you are being sexually abused, or just that you are embarrassed about your body changes and wonder if something’s normal, etc. Often, it’s a very good thing for a girl to develop a comfortable relationship with a female adult who is not her mom. (Likewise, it’s important for a boy to have access to a male adult who is not his father).
Of course, this only really applies to older scout troops (6th grade and up). I don’t think it matters at all whether brownies and cub scouts have male or female leaders.
If it were a choice between having a male GS leader and having no GS leader, which would you choose for your daughter?
I have been both a Girl Scout and a GS toop leader. Our troop had, at various times, both male and female leaders (although most of our leaders were women). There is nothing in the Girl Scout literature that says men can’t be GS leaders.
That’s a good point, meara, but it’s moot, because GS rules state that meetings, camping trips, etc., must have at least two leaders/adult Girl Scouts. For practical reasons, you may need more than two (especially with the younger girls!) but if you do have two leaders, chances are at least one of them will be a woman.
Interesting aside: the Girl Scouts do not take the same position as the Boy Scouts vis-a-vis religion. (You remember a few years back that a coupla Eagle Scout candidates got thrown out of the Boy Scouts for being self-professed atheists.) One of my Girl Scout leaders was a second-generation Moonie. The position taken by the GS Council was that, as long as she didn’t prostletyze, there was no reason she shouldn’t be a scout leader.
My GS leader was a mormon, and her daughter was a close friend of mine, despite my Christian upbringing. It never had an effec ton our activities or meetings. Wow. Suddenly for one second I have an inkling of pride for having been a Girl Scout.
ENFP Prayer: Dear God, please help me keep my mind on one - oh look a bird! - thing at a time
I would have to say that yes, I would have a serious problem with it. I would be shocked and angry, and I would feel it was my duty to find out the answers to some tough questions.
Questions like ‘Who is the mother of this girl? (and there aren’t that many potential candidates)’ ‘Why didn’t she tell me I had a daughter?’ ‘Am I going to get hit with child support payments now?’ ‘Does this girl even know who I am?’ etc.
So yes, Mjollnir, I would have a big ‘problem’ if I found out my daughter’s GS troop leader was a guy.
Kevin Allegood,
“At least one could get something through Trotsky’s skull.”
- Joseph Michael Bay
Ah. It’s been a long time since I was a girl scout. Thanks for clearing that up.
In that case, there’s no reason not to have a male scout leader, though I would hope there’d always be at least one female leader available as well. 
Now, the above incident aside, my Mom was my Boy Scout(cub/webelo/wolf(?)) Troop leader for years and years.
I don’t really see issues with having an opposite-gendered troop leader, be it BS, or GS.
I do certainly support ample screening and thorough background checking for both(on the off chance that you have a deviant for a troop leader).
And remember kids, crack doesn’t smoke itself!
As best as I remember, Girl Scouts require that the leader be a woman, but co-leaders can be men.