The youth organisation Girlguiding has made a significant policy shift, announcing it will no longer accept transgender girls as new members. The decision follows detailed legal advice sought in the wake of a pivotal Supreme Court ruling earlier this year concerning sex and gender definitions under the Equality Act.
A Decision Driven by Legal Advice
In a statement released on Tuesday, the charity's senior leadership confirmed the change. "Trans girls and young women, and others not recorded female at birth, will no longer be able to join Girlguiding as new young members," the organisation stated.
The announcement was signed by Denise Wilson, chair of trustees, chief executive Felicity Oswald, and chief guide Tracy Foster. They explained that the April Supreme Court ruling had forced many organisations to re-evaluate their policies regarding single-sex spaces and services.
"Following detailed considerations, expert legal advice and input from senior members, young members and Girlguiding’s council, the board of trustees for Girlguiding has reached the difficult decision that, going forward, membership of Girlguiding will be restricted to girls and young women, as defined in the Equality Act," the statement read.
Impact on Current Members and Future Support
The organisation was quick to clarify that there will be no immediate changes for current members. Furthermore, volunteers of any gender will not be forced to leave, although some specific roles will remain open only to women.
Despite the policy change, Girlguiding emphasised its commitment to inclusion. The statement noted the charity "believed strongly in inclusion" and plans to launch a new taskforce to continue supporting young people and adults from marginalised groups.
"While Girlguiding may feel a little different going forward, our core aims and principles will always endure and we remain committed to treating everyone with dignity and respect, particularly those from marginalised groups that have felt the biggest impact of this decision," the leadership concluded.
Background and Legal Pressure
This policy reversal comes after Girlguiding faced reported legal action from a parent. The Times revealed that a parent had challenged the previous policy, which allowed transgender girls to join as members and trans women to volunteer in women-only roles, claiming it "exposes girls to harassment".
The inclusive policy was originally introduced in 2018 and was defended at the time. Girlguiding had then argued that "simply being transgender does not make someone more of a safeguarding risk than any other person."
The catalyst for the change is the April Supreme Court ruling, which clarified that for the purposes of the Equality Act, the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex. This landmark judgment has created significant ramifications for access to women-only services across the UK, leaving many organisations navigating a complex legal landscape as they await updated guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
