Pacifica student calls out American Legion gender disparity

“I’m here because I respect what they try to do in this program, which is teach youth about our nation,” Zhao said. “But in our country with such a diverse group of Americans, it really doesn’t teach youth about what it means to be an American if people are not treated as equal.” 

The American Legion, a veterans organization with around 2 million members nationwide, runs Boys State, a mock government program where students learn by doing. The American Legion Auxiliary, a separate organization with similar values, runs Girls State, a comparable program. Two delegates from each Boys State or Girls State program are selected to attend the American Legions Boys Nation or American Legion Auxiliary’s Girl Nation, respectively. Except for in California. 

Just last year, California became the first state in the nation to allow boys and girls to fully participate together in the American Legion California Boys and Girls State program, previously known as California Boys State. 

However, girls are still ultimately denied equal opportunity their counterparts have to attend the national program led by the American Legion, Boys Nation. Girls from the California co-ed program also cannot participate in Girls Nation because they are not a part of the American Legion’s Auxiliary program — which still exists on its own. 

Zhao — backed by over 30 state legislators, the State Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, and several organizations — submitted a coalition letter June 12 advocating for the national organization to stop discriminating on the basis of gender.

“They know my name and they know I’m advocating for change,” Zhao said. “They learned about this last week before the program even started, but they’ve known about this issue longer than just a week.” 

Last year, delegates at the inaugural coeducational program took a stand against the issue. Though ultimately rescinded, students proposed a bill calling for a boycott of the national program and was passed by their Assembly with a large majority. 

Despite advocacy for the inclusion of women at the first ever Boys and Girls State in 2023, and further efforts to raise the concern of discrimination to the national organization, there is still no clear indication if the American Legion will make any changes in the future, Zhao said. 

“There should be a promise for change,” she said. “At this program, it’s so clear to us that the American Legion believes that delegates are equal. We just need the National American Legion to truly take a stand and promise change.” 

Making the California program coed was a result of complying with a state law addressing disparities between Boys State and Girls State, Zhao said. Senate Bill 363 written in 2021 by former state Sen. Connie Levya amended the education code to require Boys State and Girls State to make their programs more comparable. 

Under prior law, any program or activity of the American Legion in connection with the organization, including the state and national conferences and how students are selected to attend, were exempt from Title IX violations regarding discrimination on the basis of sex. 

Rather than shrinking the Boys State program to align with the resources and opportunities provided through Girls State, the American Legion decided to allow girls attend its conference. 

Zhao believes that this decision should expand to the national level as well.  

“It doesn’t matter how good any of the girls here are. It doesn’t matter if they win the highest position in the program,” Zhao said. “It doesn’t matter if they’re the most brilliant speaker everyone has ever seen because of the fact that just because they’re a girl, they wouldn’t have any opportunity to go to the national program, which I think their merit should give them.” 

Zhao said she has heard some argue that this problem can simply be avoided; girls can go to Girls Nation and boys can go to Boys Nation, and participate in their respective programs. However, Zhao thinks this is short-sighted. 

“This whole notion of separate but equal is wrong,” she said. “We as a country have established that separate is not equal, it’s clear that it’s not equal.” 

Though the national organization has received the letter, Zhao said she is still awaiting a statement addressing the matter and its commitment to gender equality. Beyond making space for girls at the national conference, she hopes the American Legion will see this as a chance to further promote strong civic knowledge among its students. 

“We don’t need to send a girl to Boys Nation,” Zhao said. ‘I’m saying, we need to send the most qualified person to Boys Nation.”

A voice mail on the American Legion Media Relations line went unreturned.

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