It was not too long ago that the Boy Scouts of America started allowing young boys who identify as gay into its ranks (Boy Scouts Will Welcome Gay Scouts Beginning January 1, 2014). But the policy was not for the other members of the rainbow family, just the cis boys that like other boys. Let's face it, being transgender is a lot more difficult than being gay and the Boy Scouts are making that belief even more true.
From the moment he joined, 8-year-old Joe Maldonado eagerly looked forward to camping trips and science projects as a member of the Cub Scouts. But his expectations were dashed after his mother said she received a phone call from a Scouting official who told her that Joe would no longer be allowed to participate because he was born a girl.
Kristie Maldonado said she was stunned because her son had been a member of Cub Scout Pack 87 in Secaucus for about a month and his transgender status had not been a secret. But some parents complained, an official from the Northern New Jersey Council of Boy Scouts told her — even though her son had been living as a boy for more than a year and was accepted as a boy at school, she said.
"Not one of the kids said, 'You don’t belong here,’” Maldonado said of the Scouts in the pack.
“It made me mad,” Joe, said. “I had a sad face, but I wasn’t crying. I’m way more angry than sad. My identity is a boy. If I was them, I would let every person in the world go in. It’s right to do.” – northjersey.com
The Scouts declined to say whether they have a written transgender policy. Effie Delimarkos, the communications director for the Boy Scouts of America, said in a statement that the organization’s Cub Scouts programs are for boys age 7 to 10 and that "the classification on the participant’s birth certificate” would be used to “confirm legal status.” She did not provide additional details and did not specify whether the Boy Scouts have ever examined gender statuses on birth certificates. – northjersey.com
What do you think?
How lax should the Boy Scouts be with their memberships?
Should transgender boys be admitting into their ranks?
Is there enough education out there for transgender boys to be safe, accepted, and welcome in the BSA?
One commentor on reddit.com had a thought.
If I had the funds…
I'd LOVE to set up a Summer camp for trans kids. Especially the one who are too fearful to transition in public. Let the girls play dress-up and all the other 'girly' things, while the trans boys go off into the woods to catch frogs and build forts. 🙂 Mix and match as desired.
Can you imagine how much more confidence and improved self-image would come out of it after a few weeks of being 'themselves'? – reddit.com
Is this a great idea or is this a separate but equal thought?
For more on this story, head over to northjersey.com
h/t: northjersey.com