Democracy for girls

MYRNA BROWN, HOST: Today is Friday, April 5th. Thank you for turning to WORLD Radio to help start your day. Good morning. I’m Myrna Brown.

NICK EICHER, HOST: And I’m Nick Eicher.

Coming next on The World and Everything in It: a new documentary that follows politically conscious teenagers debuts today on Apple TV+. Here’s arts and culture editor Collin Garbarino to talk about Girls State.

EMILY WORTHMORE: Hello, Federalists! Chances are that you’ve already met me, but my name is Emily Worthmore, and I’m running for governor.

COLLIN GARBARINO: If Emily Worthmore sounds a little young to be running for governor, that’s because she is. Emily is just one of hundreds of teenage girls from Missouri stumbling through a mock government program known as Girls State.

EMILY: I don’t really know what to talk about in my speech because our party as a whole has no platform yet… And I probably won’t agree with the platform to be honest.

Boys State and Girls State are leadership programs sponsored by the American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary. In 2020, documentarians Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss gave viewers a look inside the program with Boys State, a film about high-school boys in Texas who get hands-on experience with the democratic process.

Released in the midst of election season, the documentary depicted our contentious politics in microcosm. Now, just in time for another presidential election season, McBaine and Moss are back with their follow up, Girls State, focusing on the female perspective.

CECILIA: I think boys feel like they can speak louder about politics because I think women… often when we start talking politics, we get shut down.

Hundreds of girls are attending this week-long experiment with democracy, but the documentary focuses on a half dozen girls. And while all the subjects are go-getters, they come from diverse backgrounds, bringing their own assumptions with them.

TOCHI: These girls are literally from places where there are like 300 people in their town. I’m probably the first black person they’ve ever interacted with.

Not only do the girls come from different cultures and ethnicities, but we also see different personalities trying to figure out how to fit in. Some possess self-confidence, while others aren’t sure about how to navigate the relational side of politics.

NISHA: This is it. This is where I go out. They’re not going to want me after this.

Emily, the girl running for governor, turns out to be the film’s main subject. She’s politically conservative and pro-life with Christian convictions.

EMILY: I keep wanting to say that it’s more liberal girls at this camp than there are conservatives, but I can’t tell. I can’t tell for sure.

Of course, she brings her own assumptions about her fellow campers.

EMILY: I can tell the people who are definitely liberal… umm… like definitely for sure just because… I don’t know… maybe… maybe they’re just louder?

Girls State was filmed during the summer of 2022, and the Dobbs decision that reversed Roe v. Wade looms large over the documentary. The Supreme Court leak happened right before the girls head off for their week at Girls State, and the legality of abortion becomes a hot topic of conversation.

Much of that conversation will disappoint thoughtful viewers because some of the pro-life girls have trouble speaking with conviction.

EMILY: Personally, I’m pro-life, but I wouldn’t try to convince somebody who’s not… Maybe I’d share my opinion and talk to them, but I don’t think it’s something that’s worth, like… “No, become pro-life.”

The pro-choice girls, on the other hand, merely regurgitate shallow talking points from social media.

GIRL: A lot of pro-lifers aren’t actually pro-life. They’re pro-birth. Now that is a big difference.

This lack of political depth could lead some to despair over the next generation, but really these teens aren’t so different from adults in America who substitute soundbites for a consistent political ethic.

But Girls State does have some hopeful elements. We see some of the girls find their voice through failure, rather than success. And while there’s lots of feminism, sometimes we see the girls questioning rah-rah female-empowerment slogans.

EMILY: Like, I love it. Straightening each other’s crowns and all that, but the “queen girl boss slay…” It’s like… great. If I were a guy and you weren’t doing it mockingly, would you say that genuinely?

Girls State remains even-handed. The documentarians don’t try to push an agenda. Rather, we get an honest look at how teen girls think and talk. I was especially impressed that the film contains no mockery directed at Emily’s Christian faith or political conservatism.

EMILY: Most of you already know that this tree has deep roots in Christ. In addition, I’m a supporter and protector of the freedoms we have in America – the most opportunity filled country on Earth.

Perhaps most encouragingly, we see people with polar opposite political views learn that honest and open conversations can build respect, allowing us to see each other as fellow human beings, even when our politics don’t align.

FAITH: And I don’t agree with the policies she would create, but I think she’s a good human being.

I’m Collin Garbarino.

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