Girl Guides are now GIRL ONLY!

[Iamwhoiamwhoareyou]

Following April's supreme court ruling, the Girl Guides have FINALLY made a statement and will remain GIRLS ONLY - Finally closing the door on admitting trans members or allowing BOYS to invade female only spaces/camp (which, would be done without informing parents that their daughter would be sharing a room with a biological male!) - I have a previous post in feminism chat for anyone wanting to read the previous thread on this

EMAIL RECEIVED HOT OFF THE PRESS 5 MIN AGO -

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. Details below.

Contact [email protected] or 020 7532 3970
All calls/emails will be confidential, and the service will be open 24hrs, 7 days a week.
Find out more, including how this team will handle personal data.

Denise Wilson (Chair of Trustees), Felicity Oswald (CEO) and Tracy Foster (Chief Guide)

That person's relative is female, but I agree with your point.

So how does someone male “present female”? Without using outdated and sexist stereotypes, please do explain.

Because this is the 21st century and we don’t judge someone’s sex by the clothes they wear 🙄

If boys were allowed to join rainbows, brownness and guides I dealt with many will have chosen to have done so. On the other hand many girls chose to join beavers Cubs and particularly scouts. Traditionally brownies are not allowed to do a lot of the things that Cubs were for example they weren’t allowed to be in the canvas so when girls were allowed to join scouting movement they took the opportunity as it was more adventurous. Boys on the other hand probably less likely to want to join a what is seen as a more “tame” organisation. TBH I would have less issue with boys who said they were boys joining brownies because they wanted to be in that sort of organisation I need due the activities etc etc as all the safeguarding issues surrounding mixed sex would have to be in place, however for “trans” individuals that is the not the case which is why in my view it is an issue

Admitting male people to a female single sex provision, as GG was and is again, has significant safeguarding implications. It was never advertised as a mixed sex group and parents were to be never informed of male children’s presence in the groups.

As it was organised, GG was not consistent with the law around the SC judgement.

It doesn’t matter whether some children wanted it to be mixed sex or not. The organisation’s policies and status was premised on single sex.

I agree with this. Any young child self IDing as the opposite sex needs to be made aware that this will be an issue at some point. If you havent done that so far, then its time to do it now. It will be an ongoing issue and your child needs to be told that.

How can you tell the difference between a cis man and a trans man with facial hair and men’s clothes?

Just wow.

So then why not choose a group like scouts which does the same thing, but is mixed sex? Why push into a single sex female only group? If it's the hobby that's important that is?

No. MEN are teaching girls to be scared of men. If MEN didn't commit 99% of ALL sexual crime, girls would not have to be wary of them

I will - and I do. But there's no equivalent to Brownies that is mixed sex. Anyway, she took her Brownie promise in good faith, I feel it's now the organisation that is letting her down. I'm a feminist. I'm also pro-trans. It is very possible to be both. We didn't ask for a trans kid, she happened to us. Trans people have always been here, we all need to make room for minorities (approx 1% of population) where we can.

Well said. A parents failure to parent properly is not our fault. Single sex means single sex. Not let some males in and keep other males out.

I use my eyes.

I’m sorry your son feels excluded. He should also feel deep empathy for the girls erased from single sex spaces by well meaning people like you and your son.

Girls aren’t there to be kind and validate your son. He can see care for his specific needs and respect spaces that are wholly dedicated to biological girls.

How the fuck would I know the precise motivation for all +300k members? But I would imagine that a significant number joined because it is single sex.

I have experience of a mixed sex national organisation that occasionally put on girl only activities and those were incredibly popular and always over subscribed. Talking to girls about why they enjoyed the female only activities it was clear that the boys generally took over mixed sessions and felt that even the adults focused on the boys.

Just let girls have their own shit without focussing on the feelings of males.

It took them long enough ! Thank goodness this ridiculous tide is turning

Guiding was founded to provide informal educational opportunities to females. I have no idea why you would think it was "based on spreading kindness". That's odd.

Why do women and girls need to make room for males? Why aren't we asking boys and men to be supportive?

How can you not?

As females, trans men are shorter and have a female skeletal structure. Gait, voice, hips, etc. It's easy. It's hardwired in women to detect a male as a survival instinct. A female dressed up to look like a male, even with a beard, still doesn't look much like a male.

Because “cis” men carry a CSCS card durrrr. And don’t be sexist women can be part of the construction industry scheme too. They don’t discriminate theses days. Also “transmen” are female. And are also allowed to join CSCS. They let anyone in if they do the courses

because they are female?! JFC, talk about the fucking regressive concepts of GI.

I am actually appalled at some of the comments in this thread, especially considering the comments are mostly from parents or those working/volunteering with children.

I fully understand the safeguarding issues surrounding "humans with currently functioning male genitals" (I have used this phrasing as there seems to be some confusion as to what trans means) having the opportunity to be alone with young girls.

I do not, however, understand the completely bigoted views being spouted about children and young adults, and am significantly concerned about the level of radicalisation that seems to be involved in girlguiding these days.

Do better.

“For an organisation based on spreading kindness, this decision feels very far from "kind".”

I can see your concept of kindness doesn’t extend to the girls that your male child’s inclusion negatively impacted. No female child should be coerced in anyway into acting as if they believe that your male child changed sex and became female.

It is shit that GG ever decided to believe the Stonewall interpretation of the law and make changes that allowed any male child to join. However, your child’s inclusion was not without impact on female children - those female children were not validation resources.

A trans 4 year old? Holy shit. Absolutely ridiculous