Boy Scouts allows transgender kids into boys-only programs
DALLAS — A New Jersey woman whose son was asked to leave his Boy Scouts troop after leaders found out he is transgender said she has mixed emotions about the organization’s decision to allow transgender children who identify as boys to enrol in its boys-only programs.
The Boy Scouts of America announced Monday that enrolment in its boys-only programs will now be based on the gender a child or parent lists on his application to become a scout, rather than the gender listed on the child’s birth certificate.
Eight-year-old Joe Maldonado was asked to leave his scout troop in Secaucus, New Jersey, last fall after parents and leaders found out he is transgender. The organization’s statement did not specifically mention Joe’s case, but said it changed the policy because of the larger conversation about gender identity taking place around the country.
“For more than 100 years, the Boy Scouts of America, along with schools, youth sports and other youth organizations, have ultimately deferred to the information on an individual’s birth certificate to determine eligibility for our single-gender programs,” the statement said. “However, that approach is no longer sufficient as communities and state laws are interpreting gender identity differently, and these laws vary widely from state to state.”