Group to protest against Girlguiding’s ‘message of rejection to trans children’

Campaigners have criticised Girlguiding’s “harmful” decision to ban trans girls from becoming members ahead of a series of protests planned for the coming days.

A coalition of volunteers and parents – known as Guiders Against Trans Exclusion (Gate) – said refusing a child based on their gender identity “sends a message of rejection” to young people.

The group is co-ordinating demonstrations in London, Edinburgh and Sheffield on Saturday, followed by Cardiff on Monday.

Girlguiding, which has around 300,000 UK members across its Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers groups, confirmed last week that it will only allow those recorded female at birth to join.

The decision to restrict new membership took effect immediately but the organisation said there would be no immediate changes for current young members.

Further information on what would happen to current members has not been provided but the organisation said it was establishing a taskforce “to look carefully at Girlguiding’s future – bringing together members, parents/carers, volunteers, staff, young people and external organisations”.

Girlguiding, whose members range in age from four to 18, said it does not collect gender identity information and therefore does not have numbers for how many might be affected by the rule change.

A statement from Gate ahead of the weekend’s protests said: “We are speaking out because we care about this organisation, and because we believe it can, and must, do better.

“Girlguiding has always stood for empowering every girl to thrive. Refusing a child based on their gender identity sends a message of rejection that is both harmful and fundamentally at odds with the values we model every week in our units.

“Our goal is simple: to make sure that every girl who seeks belonging in Girlguiding can find it.”

The group said the new policy “risks deepening the isolation faced by transgender youth at a time when safeguarding best practice emphasises the importance of inclusion, support and community connection”.

When it made its policy announcement, taken after legal advice following the Supreme Court ruling in April on biological sex, Girlguiding described it as a “difficult decision”.

It said it still believed “strongly in inclusion” and would “continue to support young people and adults in marginalised groups” as well as exploring “potential ways to champion this value”.

Girlguiding also said it wanted to reassure members who attend the upcoming protests that they will not face any penalties but they are expected to uphold the organisation’s values and code of conduct.

The statement added: “Any further action regarding your membership would only ever be considered if behaviour falls outside of these guidelines.”

The National Federation of Women’s Institutes (NFWI) has said transgender women will be banned from becoming members from April.

The organisation said the decision had been taken “with the utmost regret and sadness”, the organisation said, adding that it retains the “firm belief that transgender women are women”.

The NFWI said while it can no longer “legally offer formal membership to transgender women” after the Supreme Court ruling, the organisation will “bring forward programmes to continue to extend fellowship, sisterhood and support to transgender women”.