A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD Colorado boy's desire to join the Girl Scouts -- and the organisation's reversal of his initial rejection -- has put a spotlight on the Scouts' little-known policy of supporting transgender kids, FOX News reported today.

The story of little Bobby Montoya came to light earlier this week, when his mother told a Denver TV station that Bobby's request to join his older sister in the venerable all-girl organisation was denied. Felisha Archuleta says Bobby dresses in girls' clothes and likes girls' toys.

Ms Archuleta told KUSA-TV that a troop leader said "'It doesn't matter how he looks. He has boy parts, and he can't be in Girl Scouts. Girl Scouts don't allow that [and] I don't want to be in trouble by parents or my supervisor.'"

But the local troop leader was apparently unaware of current policies within the organisation.

The Girl Scouts of Colorado released a statement this week stating that they are an "inclusive organisation" and that little Bobby will be allowed to join if he wants to.

"We accept all girls in kindergarten through 12th grade as members. If a child identifies as a girl and the child's family presents her as a girl, Girl Scouts of Colorado welcomes her as a Girl Scout," according to the statement.

Rachelle Trujillo, a spokeswoman for Girl Scouts of Colorado, said it is not a "black-and-white policy."

She added that the troop leader's confusion may have arisen when Ms Archuleta kept referring to Bobby as a boy when trying to sign the child up.

"We have reached out to Bobby's mother, but she has said that her child does not feel comfortable joining that troop. So we spoke to her about having Bobby join another troop, but she has not gotten back to us."

The Girl Scouts policy has won praise from transgender groups.

"If some little kid wants to do little kid things at the Girl Scouts, then they should be allowed to," said Mara Keisling, Executive Director of the National Center for Transgender Equality.

But others think the Girl Scouts should be more steadfast in its policies, letting boys be boys and girls be girls.

To cross that line "is child sexual abuse, the violation of children's genetic reality aided by a society that is reverting back to the dark," said Judith A. Reisman, visiting professor of law at Liberty University School of Law.

"If he has male parts, he is a male," she said.

Originally published as Transgender boy allowed to join Girl Scouts