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)

The policy prohibited any parent or child knowing that there was a male
child in the group.

It matters a great deal to some girls that the group remains female only. Or do their needs not matter because some adults cannot think of a reason that a female child needs a single sex space to be female only?

It really is that simple.

Depends on what they're doing. The changing and sleeping areas should always really be single sex anyway, but what harm would a boy do outside of changing or sleeping?

You might not see the point, or necessity of female single sex spaces and groups. It might not be what you'd choose for your child.

That's fine.

You don't get to decide for anyone else though. Children have stopped wanting to go to GGs, and other parents have kept female children out of GGs one they found out that male children were being included by stealth.

It has taken a clarification of the law, 8 months of inaction, and finally the threat of a lawsuit from one of those parents to a female child for GG to reluctantly, and begrudgingly concede that they should stick to their remit. GG is for female children only.

There are other groups for everyone else, this is one for female children. That sort of thing always brings out the sexists and misogynists who can't stand for girls to have anything for themselves.

So a parent of a girl has the option of the girl attending guides and scouts but a parent of a boy only has the option of going to scouts because parents don't know how to say to girls go to guides and boys go to scouts, yet single sex schools exist

Too bad girls! You just don’t matter more than male children and besides, you are a very useful resource for some of those male children. You just need to accept that you have to give up on having a group just for female people and you have to be kind. Because that is most important.

I think this is message that has come through on this thread.

But the sleeping and changing rooms were mixed sex.

Some (most) female children thrive in a single sex environment.

You could read the thread. This has been discussed already.

Other male single sex group options exist. It is not a choice of only two groups in the UK in many areas.

But boys dont get that right, they have to have girls in scouts they have no choice

It really seems to be rinse and repeat.

There is nothing stopping parents setting up a boys-only equivalent.

In many areas, there are only two groups.

Lets not argue with stupid Sisters. We all know what it does!

Parents can set up other groups if they feel strongly

This.

Perhaps you should read the thread. This has been addressed every page or so.

Scouts made the decision that to keep the scouting groups running they had to allow girls. There are other alternatives that provide male only groups.

The choice was either allow girls to join or disappear completely. If you want to campaign for scouts to be male single sex again, go for it. If you want to have another male only group, go for it.

The presence of GG and the fact they are female only is not the issue with the lack of choice for male children that you think it is. As I said up thread, the presence of a mixed sex football team should not mean that there should not be a female only football team available.

Take it up with the Scouts then.

So get campaigning for new groups.

Rinse and repeat.

I have zero issue if the Scouts want to return to being male only. Up to them though.

I am all for this. But why aren't "all" people being vetted if they are in settings such as showers or camping?? This should never have been allowed be them women or men (biological). This is an aside, but surely all GG who have access to showers, camps etc are all vetted?

Just curious as I don't have any skin personally in this game. Apart from the fact that I do 100% agree on womens and females spaces.

But to suggest GG were allowing access to potential safeguarding issues just because "women are safer than men" and don't need to be checked seems odd to me.

Also obviously not all volunteers are and can be checked so some men (dad's) may want to help out but they help out outside of these situations and according to safeguarding rules surely?

Too bad girls! You just don’t matter more than male children and besides, you are a very useful resource for some of those male children. You just need to accept that you have to give up on having a group just for female people and you have to be kind. Because that is most important.

And no one wants to set up more male only groups, so you girls just have to miss out! Even though it is a very valuable experience for you.

I think this now is getting even closer to the main arguments.

Actually boys have that ‘right!’ Just as girls do.

What they may not have is access due to proximity. But they still have that ‘right.’

The boys have boys brigade.

So single sex for each sex and mixed sex for everyone.

Fairs fair.