Building girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place is the mission statement of The Girl Scouts of America (GSUSA). The GSUSA is an organization where girls are encouraged to be active in their communities by doing community service. They boast of having a fun and nurturing environment where girls can build relationships with each other. So I bet you’re thinking that the GSUSA is accepting of all kinds of girls. Right? While that may be true to some extent, many of its members aren’t very accepting at all.

A girl scout in California named Taylor started a campaign to boycott Girl Scout cookies because a Colorado troop allowed Bobby Montoya, a transgender girl, to join their troop. This was a big step in the Girl Scout community. Historically the organization has denied transgender girls from joining their local troops, but has become more inclusive in recent years. In a YouTube video that Taylor made, she talks about how the GSUSA is being deceptive to its scouts and their parents by not notifying them that “transgender boys” were being accepted into the organization.

I feel sorry for Bobby Montoya, who has to endure blatant displays of ignorance. I believe that everyone should be accepted for who they are. If a person identifies as a girl, she should be able to live her life without anyone questioning her gender identity or denying her the right to do things that any girl would be allowed to do. I applaud the leaders of the troop in Colorado for allowing Bobby to become a girl scout. Hopefully, the troop’s decision to include Bobby will spark a trend, so that other transgender youth will have great opportunities like this one. The GSUSA is a place where girls can have fun together and build good character. And, isn’t that something that every girl, transgender or not, deserves?