Transgender Boy Scout awarded 18k and formal apology after being kicked out of troop
A transgender Boy Scout has been awarded $18,000 and a formal apology after he faced discrimination from the community group.
The award comes after 9-year-old Joe Maldonado sued the Boy Scouts of America because the group kicked him out due to his gender identity.
“Joe is happy that they admitted they were wrong,” said his mother, Kristie.
The director of communications, Effie Delimarkos, said that the organisation is “happy to welcome Joe and the Maldonado family back into the scouting community.”
As well as the financial settlement and apology, the Northern New Jersey Council agreed to create “revised policies and procedures” for transgender youth that fall inline with anti-discrimination laws.
Maldonado joined the Cub Scouts in New Jersey last year, but was kicked out after parents of other children complained about his gender identity.
Maldonado’s family claimed that other children did not have a problem with Joe, and rather other parents and the actual club that opposed his gender identity.
“I was in shock, upset. The kids didn’t have a problem it was all his friends, he was having fun,” Kristie Maldonado said. “Not one of the kids said, “You don’t belong here,’”
“I don’t know, it’s just not fair,” Joe said. “It made me mad. 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.”
The family opted to sue the Boy Scouts for kicking him out, which prompted the troop to change its policy to allow trans boys to enrol in the programme.
The BSA previously checked the birth certificates of applicants, a move which has now been dropped.
Following the backtrack Maldonado was invited to rejoin the Scout programme, making him the first official transgender Boy Scout.
The hero has gone on to be a championing voice after he labelled Donald Trump as “ridiculous” for his restrictive anti-trans bathroom laws.
Have you signed our petition to ask Donald Trump to stop discriminating against trans kids?
