An update to the WI Announcement thread. My DH just got a reply to his application to join them.

[Another2Cats]

This is not a thread about a thread, but recently there was a thread about the Womens Institute announcement that they would not be implementing the SC ruling anytime soon.

I was reading the thread at the time and, entirely jokingly, I suggested to my DH that he should apply to join the WI and see what they say.

So he did just that (he totally gets the GC point of view) and I posted about this at the time:

Another2Cats · 08/05/2025 19:45

I just got my DH to send an email to them:

Hello,

My name is Xxxx (very obviously masculine name). I just read your transgender policy and understand that you accept men.

I am a man and would like to join the local WI group in [xxxx city] (the nearest branch for me is in yyyy [suburb of xxxx city]).

Should I just turn up next Wednesday evening and sign up?

I'm really waiting with bated breath to see what sort of response there is.

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/womens_rights/5330297-womens-institute-announcement?reply=144143149
.

Well, it turns out that they sent a response this lunchtime.

This is their reply (although with contact details redacted):

Good morning,

Thank you for your enquiry. Our policy states that “WI membership is open to all women who live as women, including transgender women.” If you fit within this statement, you will be more than welcome to attend. I am afraid the WI is not open to men.

Kind regards,

[Redacted]

[Name Redacted]
Federation Secretary
[Two cities - well, a city and a town - redacted] Federation of WIs CIO
[Address redacted]
[Telephone number redacted]
Office hours: Tues, Weds, Thurs 9am – 1pm

Please note the new email address – [Redacted]
.

I don't know, is this something that DH should take up with the EHRC now that he has it in writing?

Shit! I'm womaning wrong again. I never cross my legs when sitting. I'm not too good at the smiling bit, I tend to have a permanent WTF look about me, and as for softer hand movements, if that was the case I wouldn't send so much stuff flying across the room so often.

Dear W.I.,

I am a woman, but I do not live as a woman. Can I join the W.I.?

Yours sincerely,

inkymoose

The Moose Hut,
The Woods,
Up the Hill,
Near the Edge,
Always

So his next step is to turn up and join, because his way of ‘living as a woman’ is joining the WI, he should go along and make them ask him to leave, if he can get it in writing that he’s not welcome then even better.

CIO = Charitable Incorporated Organisation

you are corresponding with the federation secretary. so she's one step up from 'local'. she's part of the (probably) county level committee running your nearest federation of WIs.

without knowing what email address you originally contacted it's hard to know if any buck passing has gone on here

If you're a woman it just means 'living'.
If you're a trans woman it means lying to people (including yourself) about which sex you are (and probably wearing high heels, make-up, skirts etc to try and cover up the lie).

I fear if the WI thinks theres going to be a kind of gentleman's agreement that no one pries too closely into what 'living like a woman' actually means, they're going to be disappointed.

It will neccessarily have to eventually be clarified as 'do you as a man maintain a sincere inner belief that you are internally a woman'.

Which begs the obvious question: what for the purposes of access is the difference between a man who says yes, and a man who says no about what may or may not be happening in their heads?

Just go mixed sex WI ffs. Brian and Ted can probably do good jam and will bring Jerusalum down a whole octave.

way to miss the point.

there's a reason i joined an organisation for women. it wasn't for the cake baking - i can do that at home

please don't do this. it will put some poor local volunteer in a horrible position.

I’ve always thought that the way this will all end is when all men start ‘identifying as women’ paying their £5 for a GRC and making a mockery of the whole thing.

Crossing legs when sitting? This man has his legs crossed this minute while in a sedentary position. And this thread is making me smile too. I may have tom practise softer hand movements, once I've worked out what they are; or maybe not.

No, be kind is over, if they’re going to have stupid policies then they’re going to have to deal with the consequences and some uncomfortable situations are going to have to happen to force them to see common sense.

Just go mixed sex WI ffs

no

women dominated things are rare and valuable (like Mumsnet for example). the current fad for nonsense should not kill 100 years of women helping women and enjoying each other's company

Rather like men put poor women in charge of changing rooms and women in women's spaces in horrible positions. It's a case unfortunately of that little and very woman-like thoughtful kindness in the moment handing over women's rights in law, and it's much how we got into this mess as a sex class.

Arrgh, kill me now!

yes but you are not being unkind to some evil professional third sector NFWI apparatchik who created the stupid policy. you're ruining the night of some poor local volunteer who almost certainly understands that men are men and doesn't want them at her meeting. Please remember this is real people.

I agree. But the point is to require one or the other.

If the WI are most concerned about their male members then they can be the People's Insistute or something, or there can be a split, the Everybody Institute and the Women's Insistute, which can then be set up and run by women for women according to the EqA.

The days of pretending to be single sex while being mixed sex are done. They need to pick one and have the guts to own it.

And so are all the women harmed and excluded by men and their enablers constantly pushing for shades of grey in law.

Enough with the Be Kind.

oh yes, I agree.

and I support the action the OPs husband is taking. but it can be done without making ordinary women suffer. You need to find a way to get into correspondence with National

The be kind is strong in this one!

I wonder - are there any male organisations that are having to clarify if they accept transmen or not ?

OP’s husband sounds extremely calm and reasonable. He’s not going to ruin anyone’s night. If the volunteers think the policy is stupid they need to take it up with the management, often and loudly, until it changes.

It wouldn't surprise me if they just accept any mans interpretation of living as a women, and never say no to any man. Just applying to the WI could be seen as living as a woman.

That way, no man can claim descrimination and they can hope it doesnt become too much of an issue.

I know everyone is having a lovely time being furious (and heaven knows I've been there myself!), but you're dealing with a federation. ruining some poor local volunteer's night will achieve precisely jack shit. the policy is set by National. Local groups can't change it. If you're not talking to National you're just wasting your time

Well as I don’t know what living as a woman means, especially as the WI seems to include being a man, I won’t be applying to join - not that I have ever wanted to in all my 70+ years.

the 'don't fuck up something that's generally good for women' is strong with me.

it's why I still have a standing order to refuge even thought they're fucking idiots. sometimes a little pragmatism is best.