Boy Scouts shouldn't turn their backs on transgender child

Eight-year-old Joe Maldonado has been kicked out of the Boy Scouts for being transgender and he's not happy about it. In fact, Joe was quoted in North Jersey.com saying, “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.”

Personally I couldn't agree more.

While the Boy Scouts have relaxed their anti-gay policy, voting in 2015 to allow gay leaders, they do not mention a transgender policy. How about this? WWJD - What Would Jesus Do? No where in the Bible do you see Jesus refusing to preach the word to anyone. Why then, should an organization based on his values turn their backs on anyone?

Here's a chance for both the Boy Scouts to impress their values on Joe, who is going to live as a boy regardless of what they say, and for Joe to grow up with the scouting values. Both will come away the better for it - and what could be better than that?

Steve Trevelise is on the air from Monday-Thursday, 7 to 11 p.m. Tweet him @realstevetrev or @nj1015.

Boy Scouts shouldn’t turn their backs on transgender child