The Associated Press reports that Boy Scouts of America will allow transgender children who identify as boys to enroll in scouting programs.
Rebecca Rausch, a spokeswoman for the organization, emailed a statement Monday. She said the organization's leadership had considered a recent case in Secaucus, New Jersey, where an 8-year-old transgender child had been asked to leave his Scout troop after parents and leaders found out he is transgender, but the change was made because of the larger conversation about gender identity going on around the country.
"For more than 100 years, the Boy Scouts of America, along with schools, youth sports and other youth organizations, have ultimately deferred to the information on an individual's birth certificate to determine eligibility for our single-gender programs," the statement said. "However, that approach is no longer sufficient as communities and state laws are interpreting gender identity differently, and these laws vary widely from state to state."
In Britain, the home of scouting, it's just "The Scouts."
In fact, here's the list of countries with more than a handful of scout troops, where girls can't join:
Nigeria
Pakistan
Saudi Arabia
Sudan
United States
