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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Girlguiding - Supreme Court Decision email

518 replies

ProfMummBRaaarrrTheEverLeaking · 02/12/2025 14:07

Have just had an email from them...

As the parent of a young member in Girlguiding, following April’s Supreme Court decision relating to sex and gender, we wanted to give you an update. Many organisations across the country have been facing complex decisions about what it means for girls and women and for the wider communities affected, including us.

Girlguiding’s governing charity documents set out that the membership and people who benefit from our organisation are girls and women. In April, the Supreme Court ruled that girls and women are defined in the Equality Act 2010 by their biological sex at birth.

Following detailed considerations, expert legal advice and input from senior members, young members and our Council, Girlguiding’s Board of Trustees has made the difficult decision that Girlguiding must change Girlguiding must change, following the Supreme Court’s ruling.

From today, 2 December, it is with a heavy heart that we are announcing trans girls and young women will no longer be able to join Girlguiding. This is a decision we would have preferred not to make, and we know that this may be upsetting for members of our community.

There will be no immediate changes for current young members but more information will be shared next week.

Most adult roles, including unit helpers, district helpers and administrative support, are already open to all, so we are confident that no volunteers will have to leave the organisation.

Girlguiding believes strongly in our value of inclusion, and we will continue to support young people and adults in marginalised groups. Over the next few months, we'll explore opportunities to champion this value and actively support young people who need us.

You can find our full statement and updated policy on our website.

We are proud to be the UK’s largest youth organisation dedicated to girls and is focused on creating an equal world for girls and young women. For over 100 years, we have been a welcoming space for all girls to have new experiences, support their communities, build friendships and grow their confidence.

While Girlguiding may feel a little different going forward, these core aims and principles will always be the same. We remain committed to treating everyone with dignity and respect, particularly those from marginalised groups that have felt the biggest impact of this decision.

If you have any immediate questions, we have our special support team in place, to give volunteers, parents and carers the best support we can. We are asking Girlguiding HQ, trading and country/region staff to refer any volunteer or parent who has questions about this announcement.

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ItsCoolForCats · 02/12/2025 17:29

I see some of the outrage coming from TRAs is that scouts accept girls. Well, great. All the "trans girls" can go there then.

It is great that Guides will be female only again. My eldest dd stopped going to Cubs at about 11 because she was sick of the boys. My OH volunteered for a while and he said the boys would noticeably try to dominate discussions and activities. That still happens regardless of whether some boys are a bit more feminine or have a special identity.

medievalpenny · 02/12/2025 17:26

I also find this part of the announcement troubling. They've kicked out female members who objected to the organisation's misogynistic safeguarding failures. They kicked out overseas members. But they're going to consult on how a charity founded for the benefit of girls can support boys and men? Or potentially become mixed sex?

Girlguiding believes strongly in inclusion, and we will continue to support young people and adults in marginalised groups. Over the next few months, we will explore opportunities to champion this value and actively support young people who need us.
**
A new taskforce will explore ways to support everyone and create new opportunities. Members of all ages are encouraged to contribute to this taskforce to help us shape a future organisation that is inclusive.

ItsCoolForCats · 02/12/2025 17:25

Ereshkigalangcleg · 02/12/2025 15:50

I wouldn’t want to be at Girlguiding HQ right now as I suspect they’re going to get some less than nice communications from outraged men. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, but I suppose it might make them understand the issue better.

I remember when they last posted about this on their Facebook page, all the leaders who were commenting seemed to be blue haired TRAs. If there were sensible leaders reading, I'd imagine they were too afraid to say anything.

One of the leaders said she threw of her children are trans. Three!

medievalpenny · 02/12/2025 17:23

TWETMIRF · 02/12/2025 17:15

It's embarrassing as a leader to see so many leaders having such a hyperbolic reaction

I felt like that in the Zoom call announcing the TACs being sold. Some of the comments in the chat were wild. But at least that wasn't where the whole world could see.

TWETMIRF · 02/12/2025 17:15

It's embarrassing as a leader to see so many leaders having such a hyperbolic reaction

ProfMummBRaaarrrTheEverLeaking · 02/12/2025 17:13

Silverbirchleaf · 02/12/2025 15:50

The Girlguiding page has just come up on my Facebook page. The trans community has bombarded the comments. Very anti the statement and lots of I’m going to resign as leader’ comments. A few people have supported the new stance.

I've just taken a look, my goodness the stropping, I've never seen the like! Someone spamming the comments with an organised strike action 😂

I can't speak for Guides cause we aren't there, but it's not like our Brownies do anything that exciting. They coloured in a Christmas decoration this week. Can't believe grown adults are kicking off big style that a boy won't get to feel like a girl unless he gets to sit in a room with the girls and does colouring!!

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Ereshkigalangcleg · 02/12/2025 16:58

Labour Reddit is just as wild as r/transgender, probably because it’s stuffed full of misogynists of different “genders”.

https://www.reddit.com/r/LabourUK/s/6oiUjoxdm4

OpheliaWitchoftheWoods · 02/12/2025 16:05

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soupycustard · 02/12/2025 15:59

I note that it is 'with a heavy heart' that they will no longer allow males in. Ok, so they're at least following the law, but 'heavy heart'? To allow girls to have something of their own?

truthsayers · 02/12/2025 15:56

the responses on their facebook page are absolutely insane. Sexist ignorant idiots.

Datun · 02/12/2025 15:52

Sexist prats. The quicker they are replaced by people who actually value girls, the better.

Silverbirchleaf · 02/12/2025 15:50

The Girlguiding page has just come up on my Facebook page. The trans community has bombarded the comments. Very anti the statement and lots of I’m going to resign as leader’ comments. A few people have supported the new stance.

Ereshkigalangcleg · 02/12/2025 15:50

I wouldn’t want to be at Girlguiding HQ right now as I suspect they’re going to get some less than nice communications from outraged men. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone, but I suppose it might make them understand the issue better.

Ereshkigalangcleg · 02/12/2025 15:47

ProfMummBRaaarrrTheEverLeaking · 02/12/2025 14:15

You can bet on it!

Agree, place your bets about how long it takes. Maybe Woman’s Hour, too, with a pro trans leader.

truthsayers · 02/12/2025 15:42

a heavy heart? Oh do fuck off Girlguiding, that’s so pathetic.

Retiredfromthere · 02/12/2025 15:34

Are trans boys allowed? I think they may not wish to join, but as girl guides can do quite masculine activities (it's not a strongly femme vibe there) then perhaps the strongly tomboyish girls can join now. Hope so. I assume like WI they were previously banned.

SexRealismBeliefs · 02/12/2025 15:30

Good news

Message getting through

Didn't someone start a claim against them

A little bit smarter than NHS Fife - they didn't throw themselves on the pyre

KilkennyCats · 02/12/2025 15:28

it is with a heavy heart that we are announcing trans girls and young women will no longer be able to join Girlguiding
Wtf? 🤬
Men, to the rest of us.

Berthatydfil · 02/12/2025 15:21

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OpheliaWitchoftheWoods · 02/12/2025 15:15

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MrsOvertonsWindow · 02/12/2025 14:52

Goodness. The whining and moaning that they're no longer able to centre men and boys in Girlguiding says such a lot about the nature of the adults in charge.

They've done such damage that I can fully understand women avoiding them. But wouldn't it be good to replace these subservient women with those who are proud of women's history, unashamed to support a single sex organisation for girls and rigorous in safeguarding girls.

Allmarbleslost · 02/12/2025 14:51

Ridiculous that it's taken them so bloody long to come up with this statement when we all knew this was going to be the outcome. There are a lot of angry leaders on the Facebook groups though.

Politicians247UnderwearExtinguishingService · 02/12/2025 14:46

trans girls and young women will no longer be able to join Girlguiding

That makes it sound like all young women aren't allowed in - when I presume what they meant to say was no young transwomen.

This is one effect of the deliberate subtle push to split the word into two - so that trans just looks like an adjective that applies to an actual woman, rather than a full word that specifically refers to a male who wants to be treated as though he were female.

Even with the original single word, some people still got confused as to whether a transwoman was a man identifying as a woman or a woman identifying as a man; but at least it wasn't as deliberately designed to confuse and deceive.

Silverbirchleaf · 02/12/2025 14:43

“…While Girlguiding may feel a little different going forward, ”.

This was the sentence that stood out for me. . With boys allowed in, then it’s been ‘a little different’ for a while. I now see it as returning to its roots, ie ‘girls’.

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