Safeguarding isn't about individual people, tho, is it.

You don't base your safeguarding policy on one leader who says oh I'm fine.

Logging off from this toxic thread — I’d rather spend my time with people who don’t mistake empathy for weakness, and who see that compassion and inclusion aren’t threats to feminism

Just to be clear, I didn’t bring sexuality into this. Others did, by implying that trans girls would somehow be a risk to other girls because of sexual intent or behaviour. That’s what I was responding to.

And honestly, that suggestion is what’s inappropriate here. We’re talking about children and young people who just want to belong somewhere safe. To assume that a trans girl’s presence automatically carries a sexual threat is not only wrong, it’s deeply damaging.

Girlguiding already has robust safeguarding processes that apply to everyone — that’s how we protect girls. Turning inclusion into a conversation about sex says more about adults’ prejudices than it does about the young people involved.

And please don’t use Muslim families as a reason to exclude trans girls. Girlguiding already handles faith and cultural needs sensitively, parents discuss sleeping arrangements, and safeguarding applies to everyone.No one is suddenly “put in a tent with a boy.” Trans girls are treated as girls and their presence is supported carefully - an inclusive culture for all faiths, abilities and genders should be celebrated.

Don't forget that Girl Guides wouldn't allow girls who identified as boys to join although I believe they have now changed that policy. That was unlawful discrimination based on the PC of GR

Good Lord. Who brought you up to believe that women and girls are nothing more than a resource for men and boys?

Support humans, denying their own name, space and feelings, just in order to validate the sex that you think is vastly more important.

Shocking, I know, but women and girls are human, and we operate independently. We're not just a service for males.

edited to add:

the only thing standing in the way is a broken ruling from the supreme court (which organisations have the freedom to interpret)

lol

No, the ruling said that if you are using the single sex exemptions to make your organisation female only, then that is only for biological females.

You can't say it's female only, and then make it mixed sex.

You could include boys, if you want to, but you cannot then use the single six exemption. It has to be advertised as a mixed sex organisation, like the Scouts.

Among other things, what this means is you cannot allow boys to join an organisation that is just for girls, in order to validate their self perception. If they want to join, they can, but then so can every other boy.

It is not the job of women and young girls to sit around validating males by undermining their own organisations.

I’m well aware of what the Supreme Court ruling says, and I’m also aware of what it doesn’t say. It clarified that “sex” in the Equality Act refers to biological sex for the purposes of that protected characteristic. It did not remove protection for trans people under the separate “gender reassignment” characteristic, nor did it make it unlawful for organisations to include trans people if they choose to.

That’s why Girlguiding and many other youth and community organisations are standing by their inclusive policies. They’re not “ignoring” the ruling; they’re interpreting it in line with the full Equality Act, which recognises more than one protected characteristic.

As for your point about “betrayal,” I see it differently. Girlguiding is, and always has been, about building confidence, belonging, and leadership skills for all girls — especially those who most need that support. Trans girls are not “boys in dresses”; they are children and young people navigating extraordinarily difficult social realities. Giving them access to a safe, affirming environment harms no one and helps them thrive.

Safeguarding applies equally to everyone, cis, trans, gay, straight and that’s exactly how it should be.

They are not girls, abused or otherwise. No they do not need access to single sex spaces for women and girls. And you have not provided any evidence

Sexuality does not come in to this. Why would you even introduce this?

No one is hating 'trans girls' just that they should not be welcome in a female only space, it stops that space being female only.

That impacts every girl guide and the leaders.

It also makes it harder / impossible for girls from a strict religious / cultural background to join. Growing up in northern town when I went to guides it was all white girls even though the area has a significant Muslim population.

Muslim parents are not going to send their daughter to camp with a boy in the tent. And if that girl goes to camp and it is only then that she realises there is a boy that can be culturally very difficult and the ramifications will include Muslim (possibly Jewish) and other 'sheltered' girls being withdrawn.

I’m well aware of what the Supreme Court ruling says, and I’m also aware of what it doesn’t say. It clarified that “sex” in the Equality Act refers to biological sex for the purposes of that protected characteristic. It did not remove protection for trans people under the separate “gender reassignment” characteristic, nor did it make it unlawful for organisations to include trans people if they choose to.

That’s why Girlguiding and many other youth and community organisations are standing by their inclusive policies. They’re not “ignoring” the ruling; they’re interpreting it in line with the full Equality Act, which recognises more than one protected characteristic.

As for your point about “betrayal,” I see it differently. Girlguiding is, and always has been, about building confidence, belonging, and leadership skills for all girls — especially those who most need that support. Trans girls are not “boys in dresses”; they are children and young people navigating extraordinarily difficult social realities. Giving them access to a safe, affirming environment harms no one and helps them thrive.

Safeguarding applies equally to everyone, cis, trans, gay, straight and that’s exactly how it should be.

I was a leader in Beavers and Cubs. I dislike the implication that we weren't a safe space for any child. The boys and girls I supported had fun and thrived and were definitely in a safe space.

I’m well aware of what the Supreme Court ruling says, and I’m also aware of what it doesn’t say. It clarified that “sex” in the Equality Act refers to biological sex for the purposes of that protected characteristic. It did not remove protection for trans people under the separate “gender reassignment” characteristic, nor did it make it unlawful for organisations to include trans people if they choose to.

That’s why Girlguiding and many other youth and community organisations are standing by their inclusive policies. They’re not “ignoring” the ruling; they’re interpreting it in line with the full Equality Act, which recognises more than one protected characteristic.

As for your point about “betrayal,” I see it differently. Girlguiding is, and always has been, about building confidence, belonging, and leadership skills for all girls — especially those who most need that support. Trans girls are not “boys in dresses”; they are children and young people navigating extraordinarily difficult social realities. Giving them access to a safe, affirming environment harms no one and helps them thrive.

Safeguarding applies equally to everyone, cis, trans, gay, straight and that’s exactly how it should be.

What astonishes me reading these posts is the ongoing conflation of sexuality (and by that I don't mean genetic sex) and gender... The truth is that most trans girls (and they are in a very small minority) have probably been through hell in their journey to express their gender identity and are desperately in need of a safe girl-only space in which they can be their true selves and find some solace away from the very same damaging patriarchal behaviour and mysogeny that the majority of posters on here are calling out. Its simply is NOT the case that a boy would put on girls clothes and live his every day life as a GIRL just so that he could infiltrate female only spaces - that makes absolutely no sense! And what about lesbian leaders? Are we saying they shouldn't have access to female only spaces? No. Because they've been through safeguarding checks - the same checks that a trans man or a cis man would go through. And queer girl-guides? What to do with them? Because that absolutely exists, but no-one seems to be worrying (quite rightly) about conduct in same sex spaces because there are standards that are upheld and safeguarding procedures in place to deal with issues and misconduct. We already have all of the tools, procedures and policies in place to welcome trans girls to girl-guiding, the only thing standing in the way is a broken ruling from the supreme court (which organisations have the freedom to interpret) and, yes, I'm sorry to say it, but transphobia and utter ignorance surrounding trans-identity from the majority of people posting on this thread. Go ahead and shoot me down. I stand by the fact that trans-girls are amongst the bravest, most vulnerable and most maligned, abused girls in our society and they deserve our support, not our hate

Trans girls are not boys. Anyone who has ever worked with trans young people knows this. They are people trying to move through the world and be accepted for who they are, not who others think they should be. They are a very small number of children who identify and live as girls, often at great personal cost. Girlguiding’s approach doesn’t remove anything from other girls, it simply makes sure that those few young people aren’t excluded from the same friendship, confidence and safety that Guiding does such an excellent job of providing.

Girlguiding can still be a girl-only organisation and include trans girls, because the Equality Act protects both sex and gender reassignment. Inclusion doesn’t need to erase anyone - we can widen the circle of care without anyone losing our if we just let go of such damaging rhetoric and transphobic views.

Trans girls are not boys. Anyone who has ever worked with trans young people knows this. They are people trying to move through the world and be accepted for who they are, not who others think they should be. They are a very small number of children who identify and live as girls, often at great personal cost. Girlguiding’s approach doesn’t remove anything from other girls, it simply makes sure that those few young people aren’t excluded from the same friendship, confidence and safety that Guiding does such an excellent job of providing.

Girlguiding can still be a girl-only organisation and include trans girls, because the Equality Act protects both sex and gender reassignment. Inclusion doesn’t need to erase anyone - we can widen the circle of care without anyone losing our if we just let go of such damaging rhetoric and transphobic views.

I’m well aware of what the Supreme Court ruling says, and I’m also aware of what it doesn’t say. It clarified that “sex” in the Equality Act refers to biological sex for the purposes of that protected characteristic. It did not remove protection for trans people under the separate “gender reassignment” characteristic, nor did it make it unlawful for organisations to include trans people if they choose to.

That’s why Girlguiding and many other youth and community organisations are standing by their inclusive policies. They’re not “ignoring” the ruling; they’re interpreting it in line with the full Equality Act, which recognises more than one protected characteristic.

As for your point about “betrayal,” I see it differently. Girlguiding is, and always has been, about building confidence, belonging, and leadership skills for all girls — especially those who most need that support. Trans girls are not “boys in dresses”; they are children and young people navigating extraordinarily difficult social realities. Giving them access to a safe, affirming environment harms no one and helps them thrive.

Safeguarding applies equally to everyone, cis, trans, gay, straight and that’s exactly how it should be.

"Transgirls" are boys so by wanting them to be able to join a girls group you are centering boys over girls