Transgender Cub Scout kicked out of pack gets support from all over the world
There is an outpouring of support for a transgender boy from Hudson County who was kicked out of his Cub Scout group. The Record first reported that 8-year-old Joe Maldonado joined Pack 87 in October
News 12 Staff
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Dec 30, 2016, 2:36 AM
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Updated 2,673 days ago
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There is an outpouring of support for a transgender boy from Hudson County who was kicked out of his Cub Scout group.
The Record first reported that 8-year-old Joe Maldonado joined Pack 87 in October and was asked to leave about a month later.
Now the leader of Cub Scout Pack 20 in Maplewood and South Orange says he will petition to let Maldonado join his pack.
Kristine Maldonado, the boy's mother, says that she has also received a letter from a Cub Scout pack in Great Britain saying that Joe can be a member of their pack.
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.
Joe and his mother Kristine Maldonado appeared on CNN Thursday morning to discuss the issue.
"I really don't understand why they kicked me out because I was born a girl," Joe said. "It made me feel sad at first, but I got really mad."
"He lives as a boy. His identity is a boy," said Kristine Maldonado. "He wouldn't look right if I put him in Girl Scouts."
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.
The Associated Press wire services contributed to this report.
