SECAUCUS, N.J. (AP) — The family of an 8-year-old New Jersey boy says he was kicked out of Cub Scouts because he is transgender.
The Record reports (http://bit.ly/2i48erC) that Joe Maldonado joined Pack 87 in Secaucus in October and was asked to leave about a month later.
Joe was born a girl but has identified as male for more than a year. His mother says complaints from parents — not Joe’s fellow Scouts — led to his ouster.
The Boy Scouts of America no longer bans gay Scouts and leaders. But a spokeswoman says gender identity is a separate issue from sexual orientation.
A statement from the organization says Cub Scout programs are for those identified as boys on their birth certificates.
Girl Scouts have accepted transgender members for years.