Fri 3 Feb 2017 In: International News View at Wayback View at NDHA
The Boy Scouts of America plans to allow trans children to join its ranks and to the surprise of some its main sponsor, the Mormon Church, has not immediately objected. The BSA has announced that they now accept members based on their gender identity. Previously, the organisation relied on an individual's birth certificate to determine eligibility for its single-gender programs. The announcement comes a few months after an 8-year-old Cub Scout in New Jersey accused the organization of expelling him for being transgender. The Mormon Church sponsors 30,000 Boy Scouts units across the USA, encompassing 13% of the BSA's total membership. The BSA says it has reassured its sponsoring organisations that they will continue to be able to organise their units in accordance with their religious beliefs. While the Mormons have not yet commented publicly on the new BSA policy it is their belief that gender is a god-given identity. In 2013 the BSA ended its ban on openly gay youths participating in its activities. Two years later it ended its ban on openly gay adult leaders.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Friday, 3rd February 2017 - 12:18pm