From The Trussville Tribune staff reports
IRVING, TX. –Chief Scout Executive Michael Surbaugh announced on Monday that the Boy Scouts of America will immediately begin accepting transgender children for membership.
The organization, which had previously relied on the gender of members listed on the birth certificate, will now accept the gender listed by parents on the application.
Three years ago, the organization changed a longstanding policy and began admitting gay boys as members. In 2015, another policy change permitted gay adults to serve as Scout leaders.
“We’ve taken the opportunity to evaluate and update our approach,” Surbaugh said. “I hope you’ll join with me in embracing the opportunity to bring scouting to more families and children who can benefit from what our organization has to offer.
“This is an area that we will continue to thoughtfully evaluate to bring the benefits of scouting to the greatest number of youth possible all while remaining true to our core beliefs.”
120 Comments
Kevin Small
Curious as to what else they will be compromising going forward.
Steven Vinson
Check out Trail life USA. it’s a Christian outdoor adventure program. Traillifeusa.com
Amanda Jordan
Nathan Jordan I think this made our final decision
Ashley Knight Thimaras
Ashley Knight Thimaras
Yes, Erik and I just had this conversation on the phone not ten minutes ago.
Ashley Knight Thimaras
“…remaining true to our core beliefs.”
The founders of BSA would roll over in their graves. This was not at ALL what they envisioned and these are not the core beliefs they embraced.
Lori McNamee
I’m so happy to see them become more inclusive. <3
Annette Stansell
What”s a good name for them? It’s scouts? I feel sorry for the boy”s families that had no say in this decision.
Jonathan Isbell
Look for anyone who is confused over who they are. Look between your legs if you have something that looks like a bat and two balls you join the BOY scouts if you don’t you join the GIRL scouts it’s really just that simple. Same test if you want to know what bathroom to use, it’s really not complicated
Faith Connolly
Very happy to see them be more inclusive and accepting 🙂 <3
Michael Gallagher
It bothers me to no ends to see people celebrating “diversity” and “inclusiveness”. This isn’t really about the Boy Scouts, it part of a larger movement. Liberals want to celebrate homoginy, that is that there is no difference between any of us. They want boys to be more feminine, girls more masculine, and that is just the beginning. Once gender is erased, they will move to the next adjective. They are trying to destroy individuality and promote “group think”. Before I get crucified as a homo-phobe, I have many homosexual friends but I see them as individuals, not as a group.
Charles Bush
Say bye bye to the scouts. Nothing but a freak show now.
Linda Taylor
Just stop the madness!!
Andrea Berneche
Trail Life has a troop at FBCT Monday nights. The Trussville BSA troops have all been full of great men and scouts, but national leadership has made changes that are counter to core values and added considerations that were not necessary or productive. We left in 2014. 😔
Roy Busler
Why not just start a Trans scout troop?
Rob Langford
As a former Eagle Scout, it saddens me to see what this once proud organization has become. I no longer will support them and they have no moral compass and lost the true meaning of ” morally straight”.
Ruwena Healy
My twin boys are Scouts and have been for 5 years now — Tiger through Arrow of Light. I hope you will support us as we sell Scout Cards in February and March. They are discount cards for only $5 and you can get $5 off your oil change, free medium sandwich at Firehouse Subs, $10 off at Dick’s Sporting Goods and more. Proceeds will help them purchase camp supplies and more.
Amanda Jordan
Andrea Berneche I agree!!! We have good leadership at trussville it just becomes a question of core values
Chris Evans
I know I’m not going to change anyone’s
mind and I’m not looking to do so. I also am not looking for an argument. Just want to throw my 2 cents in what I think is a great program for our children. It really does not matter what my or your opinion is on Gay Or Trans issues. Boy Scouts/Cub Scouts are teaching the same things they have been teaching for years, to be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. None of these are characteristics to exclude someone who is different. Boy Scouts has decided to allow the kids that our children sit next to in class, play with on the play ground, and who line up against each other in a game of football or play tag with to be allowed to participate in a great program that teaches kids life skills, survival skills, and a strong faith foundation. ….morally Straight
To be a person of strong character, your relationships with others should be honest and open. You should respect and defend the rights of all people. Be clean in your speech and actions, and remain faithful in your religious beliefs. The values you practice as a Scout will help you shape a life of virtue and self-reliance.
Donald Richards
Very well said
Dan Hodo
Girls in the scouts would have been fun when I was in BOY scouts. LOL
Chris Thomas
100%
Katie Hare Evans
Incredibly proud to be your wife, Chris Evans. You are a fine example of what scouting encourages. And I love that it has made you and Kendrick even closer. Great dad, and a great man. Love you.
Chris Evans
Katie Hare Evans I love you too!
Joyce Peoples
So they can no longer be known as “boy” scouts, right?
Cliff Bagwell
It appears the BSA has disabled their Facebook pages. I get nothing on The pages but headings with no content. Wonder why…..
Carol Miller
Royal Ambassadors are great groups for boys and many Baptist Churches have them here and all over the country. They teach many of the same things boys love . You do not have to attend the church for your son to attend. We have more info if you are interested
Rob Langford
This is just so sad.
Jenni Barnett Falkner
We don’t chose our gender people!
Carol Parker
Wow, interesting and frightening to see how far God will allow us to go as a nation before he destroys us. Father, forgive us….
Jeremy Horton
A lot of truth there.
Jeremy Horton
A lot of truth there.
Richard Norton
Good comment, Chris.
Richard Norton
Good comment, Chris.
Jeremy Horton
As a leader of a local troop, I can say that I have no input in what national leaders decide, but I also refuse to allow the “sky is falling” mentality to affect what I do. Nothing has changed for me and the other adult leaders in our troop. We still have the same mission, which is to help boys grow to become the best men they can be by using the points of the Scout Oath and Scout Law as Chris Evans pointed out above. There is no decision that the national board makes that changes that.
Jeremy Horton
As a leader of a local troop, I can say that I have no input in what national leaders decide, but I also refuse to allow the “sky is falling” mentality to affect what I do. Nothing has changed for me and the other adult leaders in our troop. We still have the same mission, which is to help boys grow to become the best men they can be by using the points of the Scout Oath and Scout Law as Chris Evans pointed out above. There is no decision that the national board makes that changes that.
Robert Downer
Disgrace. First it was scout leaders violating very young men, now this. WTH?
Jefferey Garrett
As a former scout, I am very disappointed with this decision….not good.
Greg Widick
Will the madness ever stop ?
Lori McNamee
Hey guys…. guess what. A trans boy is a boy. Therefore he belongs in the BOY scouts. 🙂
And guess what, a trans boy being around boys and being in the boy scouts isn’t going to hurt anything. 🙂
Jeremy Horton
Do you realize that there are hundreds of scouts in Trussville and the surrounding areas that could read your comment? Do you really want these kids to think they are freaks because you disagree with a decision they had nothing to do with?
Jeremy Horton
I hope you’ll reconsider not supporting the local scout troops. These boys will be out there doing fundraisers in the community that will help their troop. They had nothing to do with decisions made by national.
Patience Kleber Itson
thank you! only normal person on here apparently!
Leigh McTaggart
As a parent of an Eagle scout and a Star scout, I am proud that they are all the things Scouts respresent. And that includes being inclusive! Let’s give these kids choices and places to be safe.
Philip Sharpe
They don’t need the Scouts, they need professional counseling. Legitimizing this is like legitimizing bulimia as an acceptable and healthy diet option.
Khalia Kennedy
👌🏾👌🏾
Heather-Jason Rothe
I will not support Boy Scouts. Removed my boys when they embraced the LGBT movement. It saddened us to do so but Im more concerned with teaching my boys to compromise and be influenced by all of this. While it’s sad that it will effect the scouts, maybe the leaders & parents of scouts should take a stand with those running BS and not expect those who oppose these things to lower their standards? BS’s punished every scout when they choose bring issues like these into the lives of our children! These are kids for Christ sake! They are still growing their little brains and all of a sudden society dumps this crap in one of the few places they were safe! Shame on you boy scouts for cowering and putting our children’s safety & well being at risk all for the fear that you’d be sued! I raise my boys to be men who face opposition & have a strong conviction!
Michael Stanley
A gender less BOY scouts. So to make every one feel included do they all squat to pee?
Kaylene Darling Bergeron
“Thou shalt not judge” hmmm seems a bit hypocritical
Kimberley Brown Aids
I completely agree. Girl Scouts took this stance about 2 years ago. Luckily, they leave it up to the leader as to whether or not the child would “fit” in their troop. GS also pretty much said they would be “don’t ask, don’t tell” (my paraphrasing of their statement “we will accept all girls”). Yet, GS maintains as part of its “rules” for overnight events that all males must have separate sleeping quarters that are no closer than a specified distance (I don’t recall the distance off the top of my head). If that is the “rule”, then it should be the rule for a transgendered individual. After all, they are anatomically and genetically male (in the case of Girl Scouting). I will not allow a person who is genetically and physically male sleep in the same area as my young daughter.
Kimberley Brown Aids
Andrea Berneche – same is true for GS. I disagree with GS policy of being inclusive of transgendered – I will not have my young daughter sleeping with a young boy in the room. My daughter’s troop has many overnight events…this would be a huge issue to me
Kimberley Brown Aids
Charles didn’t mention anything that should make parents or kids think they are freaks. If someone reads it that way, that is THEIR interpretation. Decisions made, at the top of both Girl and Boy Scouts, recently gives me cause to worry – and my daughter is involved in scouting. The redeeming factor with Girl Scouts is that local leaders are allowed to make decisions on which children to accept based on their troop and what is out healthy for it.
Kimberley Brown Aids
While all of those are true, there are “nuances”, if you will, that have to be addressed. For instance, Girl Scouts requires that any males that attend overnight functions should have separate sleeping and bathroom facilities. So, if a trans child is accepted into the troop, do you “obey” this rule when camping or having overnight events? After all, if you say your “inclusive of all girls”, that would indicate that the trans child should/would be in the same sleeping and bathroom facilities. If we do allow this, then are basically redefining who is male or female, because you have to take anatomy out of the equation.
I may be playing devil’s advocate, but it has to be considered.
Charles Bush
Kimberley Brown Aids, I deleted a possibly offending comment although I do not think many children read news reports. I do not wish to hurt a childs feelings but any adult that would take part in their child, direct their small child to make the grown up decision to have a sex change, should have their child taken away. We have become a warped society when our children that survive the womb are getting sex changes it is just sick!
Sandra Starnes Gardner
So sad to see these hateful posts. This is not a moral issue.
Joey Butler
Was proud to see this earlier this morning. Progress like this comes in steps, and organizations like BSA are able to lengthen our stride a bit when they lead.
Tim Glass
My question is..how many 6 year olds decide to have a sex change? This is nothing but a cave in by the BSA..therefore, I no longer support them in any way
Elaine Taylor Beach
How do CHILDREN even know the meaning of “transgender” much less associate as one?
Jeremy Horton
Thank you, Charles.
Jeremy Horton
Kimberley Brown Aids, I understand where you are coming from and don’t mean to imply that I support this one way or another. I’m doing my best to continue to provide a quality program for my boys. I’m sure at some point in the future this will affect the troops on a local level, but this area is not exactly overflowing with trans children. My program and mission remain unchanged, except that I now have to convince people to not turn their backs on these boys who had no say in a decision that was made at a national level.
Charles Bush
Jeremy Horton, thank you for working with the children. Good luck to you in the future sir.
Betty Gilchrist Penuel
Both our sons were in RAs and Boy Scouts. I wish our church still had RAs.
Jason Teal
All true. But that’s not why they are being admitted. Not why the gay crap happened either. It’s naive to think so. They don’t want their boys being taught how to be a man, they want to redefine boy scouts.
Jason Teal
Not if she was a girl at any time. Normal people have the sense to tell boy from girl.
Jason Teal
Oh my God.
Jason Teal
What it is, is supremely ignorant, because that’s not what it means. But you dingbats trot it out all the time.
Jason Teal
This isn’t leading, it’s capitulation.
Kaylene Darling Bergeron
Now that’s funny 😂
Lori McNamee
They were a boy and they are living and presenting themselves as a boy. Please do your research on the trans community before spouting your ignorance about it.
Lori McNamee
Actually there are a lot of trans children
And many trans adults talk about knowing they were trans at a very young age.
They’re not getting sex changes at a young age. However if I younger kid does come out as trans and their parents are open and loving, they can get on hormones and it will help with their transition.
Lori McNamee
Not to mention, can you imagine how much this can help a trans child, actually being included with their preferred gender. It can help keep them from depression and even reduce the chance of suicide.
Lori McNamee
Read up on it. They may not know the term transgender, but there are trans kids who know their bodies are not the gender they feel.
And many trans adults talk about how they knew at a very young age that they were trans.
When did you know you were a woman? Any kid who has a concept of male and female can have a concept of transgender.
Lori McNamee
They are not “genderless” they are just including ALL boys, which includes trans boys who are also boys.
Lori McNamee
It’s been proven that forcing a trans person to live as the gender that they were “born as” is damaging mentally and leads to depression and suicide.
It hurts no one to transition. Being transgender doesn’t kill anyone.
And it’s disgusting to compare being trans to bulimia.
Lori McNamee
Will people ever learn to accept the LGBT community???
This isn’t “madness” this is about accepting others.
Lori McNamee
Trans people don’t “choose” their gender either. They know they are the gender they say they are, much in the same way you know the gender you are.
Lori McNamee
Yes they can because newsflash…… trans boys are boys!
David Waid
Lori McNamee “She” is a Girl Scout, not a Boy Scout!
Tim Glass
So you are saying a 6 year old can make that decision? Most of them don’t know to stay out of the street much less about a sex change
Lori McNamee
No. He is a trans boy, and is now a part of the boy scouts.
Guess who it hurts to refer to trans people by their preferred gender? No one.
However refusing to accept trans people for who they are can lead to suicide. Trans people have a very high suicide rate due to it.
It doesn’t hurt to be a decent person.
And whether you like it or not….. he is a boy scout.
Philip Sharpe
Actually the attempted suicide rate is above 40%, and that’s across the board, even after drugs, surgery, etc.
Actually it does kill someone, the tormented souls suffering with this disorder. They don’t need affirmation, they need counseling at the very least. What, they are better than bulimics, schizophrenics or anyone else suffering with a mental disorder? Not very accepting of you.
Lori McNamee
See, I like how you are trying to twist it…. but it would help if you even slightly understood anything about transgender people.
And a lot of the suicide attempts is due to transphobia. Even after transitioning they have to deal with people like you and many of the others on this post. They are bombarded with insults are even assaulted just for being trans.
Lori McNamee
Once a child is at an age where they understand the concept of gender, they can understand the concept of transgender.
6 year olds don’t get sex changes are even hormones.
Hormones therapy wouldn’t even start still close to preteens, some time before puberty really kicks in.
When did you know you were a boy? It’s the same thing.
Michael Stanley
Just a bunch of perverts running the Boy Scouts you would be wise to pull your kid out.
Philip Sharpe
That’s a cop out. Instead of facing and acknowledging the internal torment they face, blaming “their issues” on lack of understanding/acceptance by others is a cop out. I’ve never and know no one who has EVER done the things you suggest. They’ll never get the help they need with “friends” like yourself. And that is sad.
Elaine Taylor Beach
What “I” believe is that God created us – either male or female. I also strongly believe He doesn’t make mistakes. Without reading up on it I would venture to say it’s a mental issue. Don’t understand it. Don’t care to, and I am entitled to my opinion – whether it’s right or wrong. God created me as a female so I suppose you could say I’ve always known.
Greg Widick
Then why can’t they start a trans group Boy Scouts? That’s my point .
Stef Martin Sierke
THANK YOU, Lori!
Stef Martin Sierke
Exactly!
Stef Martin Sierke
I guess if we had an all white or all black or all Latino scout that would be ok? Since there are still racists out there, maybe we should do that too, so all the racist parents can send their kids somewhere where they don’t have to be subjected to “those people”. HORRIBLE. This is EXACTLY the same mentality, Greg. Let’s teach our kids to LOVE, INCLUDE, AND ACCEPT EVERYONE.
Stef Martin Sierke
The help they need is LOVE AND ACCEPTANCE from others. Is that so difficult to understand? And you have NO IDEA. My trans son has been through HELL.
Stef Martin Sierke
Michael…how DARE you assume this. SHAMEFUL.
Stef Martin Sierke
Trussville Tribune…why did you post this?!? This isn’t Trussville news. It seems more like a hopeful lynch mob to me. What were you hoping to gain from this post?
Stef Martin Sierke
Trussville Tribune, I need an answer to my question above, please. ASAP. Thank you.
The Trussville Tribune
The Trussville Tribune covers 5 cities and also reports news from across the nation and state. There are multiple Boy Scouts of America groups in the 5 cities we cover. This story is in our Metro-State-Nation story.
Rob Langford
Newsflash, trans is called bad parenting! You can’t change biology.
Greg Widick
Ok Stef Martin Sierke , define in your words exactly what a transgender boy is or could be . And leave race out of it because this article didn’t mention race . You did . I’ll be waiting on you definition so I can understand
Stef Martin Sierke
ANY BOY can be ANYTHING THEY WANT TO BE. Simple.
Greg Widick
Right , exactly. So why the announcement by the scouts NOW ACCEPTING TRANSGENDER BOYS . I commented “when will the madness stop” .Was a tran turned down ? If so how did they know he or she or shim was tran .
Lori McNamee
I’m friends with several trans people. And yes, love and acceptance can do wonders.
They go through constant ridicule from hateful people like you, telling them they are wrong, that they are broken, refusing to use their preferred pronouns. So yes, that’s enough to push anyone to the edge.
But loving them, accepting them, and using their preferred pronouns and preferred name doesn’t hurt anyone, and can help them feel the love and acceptance that all people deserve.
Lori McNamee
Way to call young children perverts just because they are trans.
How about instead of throwing around insults, why not educate yourself on the LGBT community and their struggles for acceptance. Maybe you won’t be such a terrible person after that. 🙂
and I don’t have a child, but if I had a son, or a trans son, I would be a proud to let them be a boy scout. <3
Stef Martin Sierke
Shim?!?!? Was that necessary?
Tanya Coy Richards
Seriously? Please educate yourself Michael. Trans people are not perverts.
Tanya Coy Richards
I feel like so many people are confusing sex and gender.
Philip Sharpe
Society doesn’t blindly accept or affirm schizophrenia, bulimia, OCD, or any other psychological disorder as “normal” or “acceptable” for a reason. Because it’s not heathy to the individual or society as a whole. To not view “trans people” with the same concern is doing them an injustice.
Lori McNamee
Oh my god. Stop comparing being trans to being bulimic, schizophrenic, or anything else.
Being trans does NOT harm anyone, it does not harm the trans person.
It’s not a mental illness.
It’s their gender just like you feel male, they feel their preferred gender.
I don’t get why you keep arguing against being a decent person.
Lori McNamee
The amount of transphobia in Alabama is disgusting.
We are talking about children. CHILDREN.
Imagine if a trans child was reading some of the terrible things you adults are saying.
Imagine if a trans adult was reading what you guys are saying.
You realize that transphobia can lead to trans people having depression and even attempting suicide?
You should be ashamed of yourselves.
Michael Stanley
Not talking about children talking about the adults. The population of transgender is less than .01 % so it’s really a non issue. Its not like they are running around naked. It’s just a sick way of sexualizing little kids.
Greg Widick
Forget you , know what your standing up for Stef before knocking another please . Love everyone and everything
Kimberley Brown Aids
So, you believe God made a mistake where trans individuals are concerned? God created 2 genders, male and female. HE formed each of us, in his likeness, while in the womb. Therefore, if a male “feels” female or vice versa, then God would have had to have made a mistake when firming the person. If God didn’t make a mistake, then the other options are 1) it’s a choice made of their own free will or 2) it’s a mental illness.
Honestly, I could care less one way or the other. I’m just pointing out that if you believe in the infallibility of God, then it’s a choice or illness. If you don’t believe in the infallibility of God, then God made a mistake.
As far as Scouting and having a “don’t as don’t tell” type policy – again, that’s a boiled down paraphrase of the policy as far as Girl Scouting – it means that a parent can lie about their child’s gender and that lie is “OK”. Scouting is about honest and character…so this scenario is an issue for me. As far as I know, there are still only 2 ways of determining gender – DNA and whether or not you have a penis. Therefore, how one “feels” isn’t a viable way of determining gender.
Lori McNamee
Accepting children who identify as trans isn’t sexualized them.
It sint sexualized them anymore than calling a child by their gender.
When a couple says “we are having a girl!” Do you call them perverts and say they are sexualized their child? No you don’t because there is nothing wrong with talking about gender.
It’s the same for a trans child.
Lori McNamee
Saying that your trans male child is a boy isn’t a lie, because he is a boy.
Just like saying having a trans female child is a girl.
And your argument about God making mistakes is hilarious. People change their physical bodies all the time. ALL THE TIME.
Hair dye, tattoos, plastic surgery, regular surgery, medicine, vitamins.
And obviously you do care one way or the other or you wouldn’t have commented on the first place. 🙂
Lori McNamee
Obviously you don’t love everyone if you are throwing around transphobic slurs…….
Michael Stanley
Really? Such a crock how many trans children do you know?The next thing you know the word boy is going to offend someone and it will just be known as scouts.
Philip Sharpe
40+% of a group of people attempt suicide and it’s not a mental illness and it does not hurt them? Keep telling yourself that that lie.
I’d like to see them get help, get better, be healthy. Doesn’t sound like you do.
Kimberley Brown Aids
Changing hair color/tattoos etc is a CHOICE made by people using FREE WILL. God gave us free will and the ability tobmake choices – noth good and bad. Gender is assigned BY God and isn’t a mistake…
So if you want to use that argument, you are saying being trans is a choice.
Lori McNamee
I know many trans people my age. I don’t know any children because I don’t have a child nor do I hang out with children.
I’ve read many things written by trans men and women. There are a few well know trans kids who are even speaking up.
And you’re being super over dramatic. No one is getting offended over the word boy. They are literally just including all boys.
You’re acting like the sky is falling just because the boy scouts are accepting ALL boys.
Lori McNamee
Dear jesus neither of you guys will ever get it. You don’t understand because you don’t WANT to understand.
And those people attempt suicide due to close minded people like you, constantly telling them than something is wrong and that they are disgusting and gross. They feel that way because people like you won’t accept them.
It has nothing to do with them being trans. It’s due to the flat out bullying and harassment of a group of people just because a majority of people chose to not understand them.
Just look at some of the terrible post on this article.
These people need love and compassion, not to be belittled.
I love how you keep trying to act like I’m the one that doesn’t care about trans people when I’m one of the few defending them and their right to be treated as human beings.
Kimberley Brown Aids
People see things differently. I believe etrans/gay etc is a choice. ..based on a belief that God is infallible – oh, and by the way, the Bible states that God is infallable…therefore he doesn’t make mistakes.
You, obviously, disagree – that is your prerogative. I’ve bullied no one…I simply stated my belief the way you stated yours. Plain and simple.
Philip Sharpe
Denying them the help they need and blaming everyone else is not treating them like human beings.
Lori McNamee
Lol. Having a trans kid isn’t bad parenting. However, being transphobic is called being a bad person. 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂