A group of transgender Girl Scouts have collectively sold over 71,000 cookies thanks to a heartwarming annual campaign.

Every year, independent trans journalist Erin Reed curates a list of trans and non-binary youngsters who are part of Girl Scout troops and asks readers to buy a box of cookies as part of a fundraising drive to help “make a few of their days better.”

Girl Scouts in the US famously sell boxes of biscuits between January and April to help raise funds for the youth organisation, raking in an average of over $800 million per year. Girl Scouts earn cumulative prizes depending on the amount of boxes they sell.

Reed, 36, first decided to help trans Girl Scouts sell their boxes in 2022 upon discovering that the non-profit’s inclusion policy allows trans youngsters to join.

She revealed in a Thursday (22 January) blog post that this year’s curated list of nearly 200 Girl Scouts members had already helped them to sell a combined 71,254 boxes. This year’s boxes are priced at $6, meaning the drive has helped to raise an estimated sum of at least $427,524 in just three weeks.

While Reed said there was no way of knowing how many of those boxes were sold as a direct result of the campaign, she noted her list had been seen by over 2 million people on Facebook alone, adding that its reach has been “enormous.”

“With weeks still left in the season, [the number of boxes sold] is certain to climb even higher,” she said.

Girl Scouts campaign a ‘rare source of joy’ for trans youth

The campaign comes as political and legislative attacks targeting trans youngsters in the US continue to rip through state and federal governments.

It’s estimated that 39.4 per cent of trans youth live in a US state that has bannedgender-affirming care in some capacity, according to the Human Rights Campaign. Other legislative attacks on trans young people include bills forcing schools to out them to their parents or guardians, restricting LGBTQ+ subjects from school curriculum, or banning them from sporting events.

Reed said her campaign started predominantly to give trans young people hope as their fundamental human rights are further stripped away from them. She said she has heard from hundreds of trans young people and their families thanking her for starting the fundraiser.

“Transgender youth in the United States are under extraordinary pressure right now,” she said. “Many have lost access to health care as hospitals capitulate to the Trump administration, while others face constant hostility from political leaders in their own communities.

“Again and again, families and scouts themselves say the cookie drive has become a rare source of joy, a reminder that people across the country see them, value them, and care about their lives.”

If you are US-based, you can still donate to any one of the 189 participating Girl Scouts by viewing Erin Reed’s list here. Buyers are recommended to purchase boxes from participants who have not yet filled their goals, and must use the “ship the cookies” option to receive their order.