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 just found this on the GG UK web page about "social action, advocacy and change"

We give girls and young women a voice so they can speak out on the issues that matter to them - and we support them to make change happen

hackmum

Have PMd you

I was just looking at their website Olennas . I see they have a campaign to stop period poverty and stigma. What will the leaders do when this topic comes up for discussion ? Will the girl guides with penises go off and do something else ? Or perhaps they'll be included as they can pass the information onto their sister, or female friend ?

My friend has a daughter who's recently declared the intent to live as a boy. She is currently a GG. Will she remove herself, as I know going through puberty is something she is struggling with ? To my knowledge she hasn't expressed an interest in, or been asked to, join the scouts.

GirlScout - wait, it takes the Charity Commission six months to even reply??!

The FPFW tweet of Charity Commission reply:
mobile.twitter.com/fairplaywomen/status/1043752210629369856/photo/1

You can complain about the charity commission here and they commit to responding within 30 days.

www.gov.uk/government/organisations/charity-commission/about/complaints-procedure

However, the fact that they have not said they are not investigating I would assume means they will be investigating with the GG UK Trustees, which you would expect to be their first port of call, though this is all happening unacceptably slowly. (From what they say they haven’t started yet.. which is worrying)

However the ‘we may do nothing but we’ll keep it on file’ approach mentioned in the reply doesn’t seem quite right.

I thought they were meant to let you know either way what happened, whether they investigated further or not.

Depending on circumstances the Commission may decide not to take further action. If it does not take action it will tell you why and keep a record of your report.

The Commission will inform you if it takes up a serious concern but it will not give you details of how it handles its casework. It will notify you of the outcome when it has finished its case. Sometimes it can take a while before you hear from the Commission.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-charities/complaints-about-charities#b2

My friend has a daughter who's recently declared the intent to live as a boy. She is currently a GG. Will she remove herself

The GGs will manage her out...

Wow, that's sinister ItsAll . So although she has female sex organs and is female in every way imaginable, she will go. But a boy with male sex organs and male in every way - apart from saying he's a girl - can join and participate fully with the other girls. The fact he's a boy will be hidden from the girls. When GGHQ read sentences like that why don't their heads spin ?

nicenewdusters. - I couldn't have put it better myself.

The reaction on Twitter is heartening, though, I don’t think I’ve seen a single positive response to any of their tweets since this story broke. Everyone hauling them over the coals and not accepting their mealy mouthed parroting about social media rules.

Thanks so much Agnes for everything you’ve done for our girls. DD won’t be leaving Brownies and I hope for better news to come.

Agnes, can I just say I admire you hugely? You have integrity and bravery and you’ve been punished for it. Please know you’ve done the right thing.

I’m just looking at the twitter feed - they are getting an absolute pasting from women who are angry about this.

I’m so sorry theyve expelled you. Hold your head high.

Agnes, can I just say I admire you hugely? You have integrity and bravery and you’ve been punished for it. Please know you’ve done the right thing.

^^^
This

The twitter thread is hugely heartening.

But it is really quite something that they are standing by a policy which pleases adult males with nappy wearing and extreme porn persuasions, while (pretty much universally, if that twitter thread is representative) distressing the mothers of the girls in their care.

Agnes and all the other GG leaders who are speaking out - You are brilliant and I hope them expelling you causes the whole issue to get blown-up into the mainstream.

Someone up thread said the patron of GG is the Queen... Has anyone written to her about? Bit of a long shot perhaps, but worth it surely?

Am willing to put money on it that the Queen is as GC as they come.

A couple of people have raised the question about the reaction of the GG insurers to this approach. I am in a position to do a little digging into this and will report back in a day or two.

Interesting working

Don’t forget that this policy means they are neglecting to carry out the risk assessments that would usually apply. I wonder what their insurers would make of that?

I am sure the Queen is gc, but I bet William will want to be seen as a cool woke dude. So time to get in touch with her majesty

Mail Online have now picked up on the story. I know people don't like the Mail, but might be worth going over and commenting:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6198273/Guide-leaders-opposed-groups-new-transgender-policy-expelled.html

I bet Julia Hartley Brewer will bring it up on her program

Thanks, Working

The Mail article is open for comments...

Lemon that’s exactly what I am interested in finding out. They are breaking both the Equality Act and good safeguarding practice and their insurers may not be aware. This might mean they are not protected in terms of liability were they to be sued. A bit like doing Al Capone for mail fraud, this might be a way to make them rethink.

nicenew - presumably the campaign on period poverty will start talking about "people who menstruate" and other crap like that to avoid using the words "women and girls". And yes, the GG's own guidance says that transboys will be encouraged and supported to move to another organisation that better fits their identity

The ad at the top of the Mail is for a knitting course

Coincidence....? Or further proof our IT is smarter than us?

I think this has been mentioned on here before. There is no provision in law for a single gender organisation. In allowing some male members but not others aren’t GG acting in breech of the Equality Act?