Secaucus transgender boy returns to Scouting

MAPLEWOOD — In a moment of historic significance, Joe Maldonado put on a Cub Scout uniform on Tuesday night as he became a member of Pack 20 in Essex County while his mother held back tears — one week after the Boy Scouts of America changed its national policy to allow transgender children to be scouts.

Scouting's decision to change its longtime policy came about a month after The Record reported that Joe had been thrown out of a Cub Scout pack in Secaucus last year because he was born a girl. The decision was at least in part a response to the national debate generated by that story.

“This is fun; I'm so proud," Joe, 9, said during the meeting. He said that the best part of the night was that "I am accepted, and I'm actually in Boy Scouts."

The leader of Joe's new Scouting pack, which serves Maplewood and South Orange, said after the meeting that Joe's presence was "historic" because he had become Scouting's first openly transgender member. He praised Joe for showing "an immense amount of courage."

Kristie Maldonado, Joe's mother, said she was “proud of the fight” she had put up after she received a call from a Northern New Jersey Council of Boy Scouts official last year and was told Joe would not be allowed to continue to be a member of Pack 87 in Secaucus.

Kyle Hackler, the leader of his new pack, helped him put on his uniform and kerchief, and taught him the Cub Scout salute and oath. The meeting was held at the Clinton Elementary school in Maplewood.

"This means you’re the same as Scouts all over the world,” Hackler said to Joe.

Hackler had contacted The Record in December, after Joe’s story was made public, and said he would petition the Northern New Jersey Council to allow Joe to join his group. He said he was told that the council deferred such decisions to the national organization. The Boy Scouts had overturned bans against gay scouts and gay scouting leaders in recent years. But, in December, it said in a statement to The Record that it would continue to use the gender on birth certificates to determine eligibility.

Last week, the Boy Scouts issued a brief statement changing its policy about an hour after Northern New Jersey Scouting leaders called Maldonado and told her that Joe would be allowed to return.

On Tuesday night, the Boy Scouts said in a statement that the organization "is pleased to welcome Joe and the Maldonado family back into the Scouting community. Moving forward, the BSA will continue to work to bring the benefits of our programs to as many children, families and communities as possible.”

Joe’s mother called Hackler last week to thank him for his support, and their conversation led to Joe becoming a member of the pack on Tuesday night. Hackler said most parents were supportive when he told them Joe would be joining.

Jessica Breen, a parent who lives in Maplewood, said she and other parents wanted to do something to help Joe when they first read about him in December. “We said, ‘We have to reach out to this child,’” she said.

Her husband, Robert, said he was pleasantly surprised that the Boy Scouts changed their policy within a month of Joe’s story being made public. “I thought it would happen in three to four years,” he said.

Kristie Maldonado was greeted warmly by most parents, with one woman telling her that she and other parents were “super happy. You’re going to love it here.”

But one parent, who declined to provide his name, approached a reporter and said that he was not happy about the Boy Scouts’ change of policy.

Hackler introduced Joe as a new scout during the meeting but did not discuss his gender identity or explain the presence of cameras and reporters. He said he expected parents to have private discussions with their children.

Maldonado said that she decided to bring her son to Maplewood because she did not want to go back to Secaucus, where Scouting officials told her some parents had complained last year.

“I never would have been able to just drop Joe off there and feel safe,” she said of the Secaucus pack. “I know there are loving and caring people here,” she said of Joe’s new pack.