The YMCA has removed or restricted access to several web pages promoting transgender policies and diversity initiatives after a national parent group raised concerns about biological males being allowed in girls’ locker rooms and cabins, according to a report from The Daily Wire.
However, in Minnesota, at least one camp still appears to stand by the same controversial guidance.
Camp Olson, a YMCA camp in the northern Minnesota town of Longville, openly affirms that campers will be housed and given bathroom access according to their self-declared gender identity, not their biological sex.
National YMCA removes LGBTQ+ guidance after media spotlight
The Daily Wire reports that the YMCA of the USA appears to have scrubbed or restricted access to many of those materials, according to the report.
This includes a 2017 page titled “How to Create a Safe Space for LGBTQ+ Campers,” along with other content related to Pride celebrations, transgender book lists for young children, and DEI staff biographies.
“After being called out for prioritizing radical, gender ideology over child safety, the YMCA is scrambling to delete and hide the evidence,” said Alleigh Marré, executive director of the American Parents Coalition, the group that led the charge. “The YMCA can delete and hide as many web pages as they want, but American Parents Coalition will continue to push for policies that protect girls in sports and in private spaces.”
Camp Olson’s statement on inclusion remains online
Meanwhile, Camp Olson’s Equity and Inclusion statement remains posted on its website. It promises to eliminate “systemic barriers” and “address injustice head-on,” affirming “gender identity, gender expression,” and a long list of demographic categories as part of its mission.
The statement ends with a vow that “words must be followed by progress, action, and accountability.”
The camp’s “LGBTQ+ and Gender Inclusion Policy” states that cabin assignments and access to facilities is “based on gender identity.”
“Whenever possible, campers who have a need or desire for increased privacy for any reason should be provided access to an alternative restroom or area to shower or change in privacy. This allows people who may feel uncomfortable sharing restrooms with trans campers the option to make use of a separate area. No one should be required to use an alternative restroom because they are trans,” the policy says.
Other YMCA camps in Minnesota, such as Camp St. Croix, also base cabin assignments on “gender-identity.”
Additional LGBTQ+ content removed
Among the other now-restricted national YMCA pages is one that directed readers to groups like GLSEN and the Human Rights Campaign, and another that praised the YMCA’s participation in Pride parades — including a blog post from a “queer transgender woman” at the YMCA of Greater Boston, according to The Daily Wire report.
The organization also removed a children’s book list, which previously included “George,” a story about a young boy who believes he is a girl and hides this from others until a classroom play gives him a chance to express his identity. The book was listed as appropriate for children as young as four.
“Parents deserve complete transparency and accountability when it comes to their children,” Marré told The Daily Wire. “Make no mistake, until the YMCA announces new policies to safeguard children, they are only concealing the evidence.”
Jenna Gloeb
Jenna Gloeb is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, media producer, public speaker, and screenwriter. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and on-air host for CCX Media. Jenna is a Minnesota native and resides in the Twin Cities with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.
