A transgender Girl Scout in Illinois sold more than 3,000 boxes of cookies after sharing her story about reportedly being bullied by a man in her neighborhood.
Stormi, 9, and her
foster mom Kim shared their story with BuzzFeed News. It all started last month when Stormi went door-to-door selling the treats. After selling dozens of boxes, she knocked on the door of a neighbor's house in Herrin, Illinois, to give her pitch.
"After Stormi made her pitch for cookies, he said, 'Nobody wants to buy cookies from a boy in a dress,'" BuzzFeed News reported.
Kim told the news site that the experience hurt Stormi, forcing her to ask, "Why am I not good enough?"
After the incident, Kim decided on Jan. 24 to move Stormi's cookie
sales online through the portal Digital Cookies, which is provided by the Girl Scouts.
She also shared the alleged bullying story on a website forum supporting parents of transgender children. The word quickly spread.
Support came pouring in from all corners of the globe, including Canada and Australia, and, within a few days, Stormi sold 3,000 boxes of cookies, BuzzFeed said.
"She took something that wasn't so pleasant and she turned it into a positive experience," Jay Strobel, a spokesman for
Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois, told The Washington Post, calling Stormi's record sales "amazing."
BuzzFeed reported that two improv performers from New York even offered to give show attendees free admission Jan. 29 with proof of purchase of Stormi's cookies.
Chelsea Clinton, daughter of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, posted a Twitter message about Stormi's story, calling it "inspiring."
The Girls Scouts address the issue of
transgender members on their website.
"Placement of transgender youth is handled on a case-by-case basis, with the welfare and best interests of the child and the members of the troop/group in question a top priority," the organization said. "That said, if the child is recognized by the family and school/community as a girl and lives culturally as a girl, then Girl Scouts is an organization that can serve her in a setting that is both emotionally and physically safe."
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