Girlguiding expels leaders who question trans policy

[AgnesBadenPowell]

Well, I guess I knew this was coming. Dissent will not be tolerated. Forget the safety concerns, the privacy and dignity issues, the managing out of gender non-confirming girls. What's really serious is one leader referring to another leader "a nightmare" in a private conversation.

Girl Guide leaders expelled for questioning trans policy

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/34139ed0-bea5-11e8-8d21-451ec1df6b83

Two Guide leaders who had raised safeguarding concerns about the organisation’s transgender policy have been expelled and had their units closed down.

Dozens of children face disappointment because there is no one else to run the units. The expelled leaders say they will take legal action against Girlguiding if their removals are upheld.

Helen Watts, one of 12 leaders who signed a letter to The Sunday Times in April asking for a review of the policy, was told on Friday that her membership was being terminated after more than 15 years with the Guides.

At least one other signatory, based in the northwest of England, was expelled. Documents seen by The Sunday Times suggest disciplinary investigations have been launched against at least five Guide leaders.

[Edited by MNHQ to remove copyright materiel]

I know that this is not-much-discussed in the media, but surely some places are railing against this policy in GG? Right wing media?

Shocking lack of duty of care by GG and they don't have a new CEO do they?

The interim is Ruth Marvel who's their head of strategy- strange to be taking confrontational action like this ahead of a new CEO appointment but methinks the Head of Strategy is defending their recent policies of bringing in the army and boys

Agnes bloody hell this is sickening.
GGUK have lost the plot.

Would any of the other volunteers to withdraw their voluntary labour for a day over this? cancel that day’s session and tell the girls and parents why?

How is this charity allowed to chuck it’s legal charitable aims out the window?
What are the Trustees saying about this? What are the Charity commission saying about this?

Why is it OK to leave girls and women completely vulnerable like this? Why can’t we have female-only spaces?

On the plus side that Times article sets it all completely clearly. Anyone reading that will see the travesty of an organisation for girls and women that the GGUK leadership- reliant on their volunteers- are promoting now. It’s awful.

How dare GGUK try to fuck with girls’ boundaries and put them at risk like this? Let alone the silencing of dissent.

Herat

This makes grim reading

This is a wretched development. At a time when GG need to show moral leadership they have preferred to highlight their shocking disregard for safeguarding and use, "volunteer code of conduct and social media policy" as their veneer of justification.

What are GG afraid of? Do they think people would condemn them for centring the needs of girls and take safeguarding concerns seriously?

I’m sorry to hear this, Agnes. They have lost the plot completely.

This is absolutely outrageous. How dare this organisation throw girls and safeguarding procedures under the bus in favour of deluded men . This is a huge scandal when Mens right activists are silencing good women who have only the best interests of girls at heart. Time for a public enquiry into the power that these people have and the links that have been made . I guess there will soon be a new trendy GG badge which says trans girls are girls. So sorry for Agnes and the other leaders who have been expelled. No, I am fucking angry..

Given that they work do hard to keep parents in the dark, GG will not be too happy about their policies being front and center in a Times article. Good. And suing them over it is even better. Will sure be interesting how they defend their disregard for safeguarding.

So they’re going to stand by this bullshit?

Well, that’s the end of Girl Guides. Ordinary parents will leave in their droves when the trans volunteers and children flock in. Which they will, of course, because entry into women’s spaces (or, more accurately, spaces that were once women’s) provides validation.

They need to rebrand: “Girl” Guides. They can focus their activities on teaching “girls” to be gender conforming, led by anyone happy to put on the costume that is “woman”.

Sadly it'll take an actual proper scandal to make them think again. Tiny microaggressions and microincidents won't qualify. It'll be something like a rape or a pregnancy.

Until then they can win Woke Points like this, and then afterwards say (with complete honesty) that they were just doing what they were told.

Oh dear. Oh DEAR.

There's a reason Scout leaders have a "reputation" and Guide leaders don't. Guide leaders are women. As it should be.

The raison d'etre of the Guides is surely to give spaces to girls free of boys, since girls can choose to join the Scouts.

You have given such a lot over the years, to make a difference to girls lives. You must still go on with making that difference, albeit in a different way. If you can face it, you can really push ahead now on publicising the ridiculous situation GG have got themselves into. With less than four weeks to go till the consultation finishes, this may Peak Trans a lot of people.
Thank you all, for all the work, thought and planning that you have put in across the years. My DD loved going to Brownies. 💐

I’m sorry Agnes. You’ve done so much for the girls under your care and the fact that you’ve been expelled trying to protect them speaks volumes about you.

I am sorry it came to this; but not surprised. Thats' a good article. I hope this reaches the wider public from here on in. You and your colleagues deserve so much praise for pushing and pushing this.

Gah. I am so sorry Agnes (and the other leader, and those investigated). Huge for standing up for the rights of girls.

What a shower of authoritarians Gghq are.

Agnes

Will you set up a crowdfunder for legal fees to take this further?

I really don’t know what to say any more. Human beings are supposed to be smart. Very sorry Agnes

Sorry to hear this. Awful news

Very disappointed to read this, Agnes. I was hoping GG would come to their senses. Doors wide open now for the volunteers with a possibly dodgy agenda. Sad day for girls and women.

GGUK is a disgrace. You, Agnes, are an example to us all as someone with principles who sticks by them. My granddaughters now do not have a single sex option to choose from.
Hopefully the Times article will raise the general public’s awareness - hope the Mail picks up on it too.