Girl Scouts have a great leader in Krista Kokjohn-Poehler

Many people wrote me after my last article about how in the media, people are unfairly written about in the comment section, from people who don’t actually know the facts. Society today is so quick to read something and snap to judge without taking the time to actually know what they are commenting about. They inspired me to write this article.

To say Krista Kokjohn-Poehler has an incredibly impressive resume puts it lightly, if you read how much she has accomplished on her Linkedin account. She is the current Chief Girl Experience Officer at Girl Scouts of USA.

Some of her past accomplishments are: Girl Effect University Director at Nike Foundation, Chief of Possibility at Possibility Architects, Inc. GEU Strategy and Design at Nike Foundation, Product Development Manager at Osiris Shoes, Girls Brand Director at Osiris Shoes, Kids Brand Director at Osiris Shoes, Assistant Coach at SDSU Women’s Basketball, Assistant Coach at Colorado State Women’s Basketball, Associate in Broadcasting at WNBA

She is the CEO & Co-Founder of a fashion brand she co-created and launched — Becky Bones, LLC. It’s an entertainment fashion brand for kids and teens that want to save the planet. The brand achieved $5.5 million in wholesale sales in three years, selling in Journeys and Kohl’s and 30 countries

The company gives back 25 percent of profits to the environment through their grant program aimed at kids and teens; 25 percent of profits to the environment for grassroots solutions.

BeckyBones.comis an eco-portal where teens can access and contribute to a worldwide network of eco-information, design t-shirts, socialize, and apply for a “25 Grant,” linked to co-branded products.

If I went into detail about how much of a contribution she made at each of the above listed, it would take up my entire article. It sounds like there should be a waiting list to have access to her knowledge and success. Who better to be the current Chief Girl Experience Officer for the Girl Scouts and help our daughters become successful, right?

And then people find out she is married, to a woman and the internet goes crazy.

Rush Limbaugh’s comment that, “As millions of Moms consider digging into their pocket books for Girl Scout cookies this year they might like to know about the hiring of Krista … she is a lesbian married to a woman named Ashley. There’s an all out Jihad being conducted on the culture, its undeniable.”

Really? I know past heavy prescription drug use has to cause some level of brain damage but still …

There are people saying they will be pull their children out of Girl Scouts because of this. If you have a daughter, would you like her to be hugely successful and caring about our youth and environment like Krista? Or do you want someone who can’t think on their own and run in fear of anything they consider different from themselves?

In this column I don’t want to sound like I am attacking everyone who were raised to believe that being homosexual is wrong. Everyone has a right to their opinions. But it’s really sad in the name of religion people are blinded. The Bible teaches us not to judge, to love our neighbors. But people follow what they were taught without thinking rationally.

Even if they don’t agree with someone’s lifestyle, it does not make that person a threat to our children. Have all the people that believe gays shouldn’t have the same rights as heterosexual people never slept with someone out of wedlock? Committed adultery? Stolen, lied — everything else the Bible teaches us we should be judged for if we commit these sins?

Equal rights are not just given to the few ‘perfect’ people, if they exist. So why should so many imperfect people decide that rights should be taken away from others, simply because they don’t agree with whom they choose to spend their lives?

If these so-called religious people believe the Bible should be strictly followed, do they not eat shellfish; how many of these very same people eat pork or wear clothing made from two different fabrics? If you’re going to pick and choose which parts of the Bible to follow, why choose to discriminate against gays and lesbians.

To all the people who don’t want Lesbian or Gay scout leaders, I’m not saying you are wrong for feeling it’s against your religious beliefs to accept that they are born feeling they should love and spend their lives with someone of the same sex. I’m saying try to think outside of the “religious box,” and realize that gay people have every right to participate in Scouts, they are just people who want to be in programs with their children, the same as everyone else who is participating in Scouts.

The people who really infuriate me are the ones who have made comments that gay people should not be in Scouts because being gay means they like children of the same sex. Please learn what a pedophile is.

Pedophiles are only attracted to children. They spend their lives ‘preening’ the children they think they can eventually molest or rape. From every interview I have ever seen of a pedophile they never feel what they did was wrong. They have no remorse for destroying the souls of innocent children. They are vile individuals who need to be shipped off to an island where they only have poison ivy to eat and are mauled by bears daily. But that’s just my opinion.

Being born gay does not make these man and women “like” children. It only means they have relationships with people of the same sex and should have the same rights as you and I. No one is judging us for what we are doing in our bedrooms.

Hearing that some people were so closed minded they were only worried about the genitals on the person Krista is married to, rather than what an asset she is to the Girl Scouts, really bothered me.

We as a community need to see the assets individuals have to offer us and stop judging everyone because what we see as different scares us. To quote the first of many Bible quotes I’ll probably get emailed to me: Romans 14:10’ “You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.”

No, I don’t believe we have a God that will judge his children for being born gay. It is not a choice. If it were we wouldn’t sadly loose so many children to suicide because they are taught it is wrong to be who they are.

I don’t believe God makes mistakes and create someone who is “a sinner” for wanting to have a relationship with someone who has the same body parts as them. We are all souls in human bodies. I would be honored to have a daughter in the Girl Scouts under the guidance of someone as talented as Krista Kokjohn-Poehler. If I’m lucky I’ll be able to accomplish one-tenth as much as she has so far.

It’s my hope this article can make people think twice about gays not being allowed to marry and not being able to participate in our social institutions or have to hide who they are from certain organizations. They aren’t picketing to take away our rights, nor do they care who we choose to have in our personal lives. We should give them the same respect.

Christine Smith

Christine Smith was born in San Dimas California and lived in a few other states but considers Cali the best. She loves biking and rollerblading up the coast and supporting the local beach bars.
Her heart has always been with rescuing animals rescue groups gave up on for being too vicious or sick, She’d rehabilitate them and find them homes. She’s rescued 114 and counting!
After visiting Playboy studios with a friend she was named Playboy’s Miss December 2005. Christine enjoyed traveling all over the US, hosting events and doing autograph signings. She won a Celebrity of the Year award in London for radio interviews. Had fun being in TV shows and movies, Bad Teacher is her favorite; Christine considers working with Cameron Diaz was an honor!
She felt very blessed to have the title of Playmate; it allowed her to help countless charities by “using her name.” She received an award from the Veterans Administration for her volunteer work and has been able to help many charities helping the wonderful people who serve our country and many animal rescue groups.
Her favorite part of being a Playmate has been meeting her fans, and she’d try to make each person feel special and give them an experience to remember.
She is very excited to now be a part of The Baltimore Post-Examiner and be able share her experiences and speak with all the readers!