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?

Oh the irony in this long messy fight for women’s rights, that these cases will be on the grounds of discrimination against men. FFS! Women can’t have anything can we 🤪😂

bravo your DH - this thread has cheered me up.

To make this simple should he not go back and state that he is a man
the WI will then reject him
he can then claim discrimination because they have said they accept transwomen who are men…

if he focuses on whether he is female enough it misses the point which is that they accept some men (who claim to be women) but reject the honest men (who claim to be men) that is discrimination

Tbh the wi are crap at everything that should have a policy, ask them about their anti bullying one. I asked for it a few years ago, it was one sentence that said everyone should be nice to one another.

I paid my subs yesterday, kinda wish I hadn’t now.

Thé WI existed to empower women, to inform them of issues which directly affect women, to instruct them in how to cope with problems and to take up opportunities which only affect women. In my experience it used to be a ‘safe space ‘ for women who might have been suffering from lack of self confidence, loneliness, family burdens, and even abuse. The presence of men, especially disordered men who wish to pretend to be women , would prevent the WI performing those roles effectively. Some men may wish to ‘do the activities’ of learning about womens physical and emotional needs and how to address them, but it is not appropriate, because they are MEN.

i have experienced help and comfort at a difficult time in my life from the WI, and I hope that I was able to be part of a support network there for other women.

I’ve also had to endure the lecture from the TW who was infiltrated into the organisation by an influential member, full of the usual demands for ‘tolerance ‘ (that is, allow me to do whatever I please) ‘acceptance’ (praise me for my actions) and understanding ( only too well, mate).

I bitterly resent what has been done to the organisation I respected and admired.

What happens to the Pip Bunce / Eddie Izard men who have pretend to be a woman days - are they able to attend the WI as they wish or only when performing their women-face act?

That sounds rather like discrimination against transmen on the grounds of gender reassignment.

Which they definitely can't do as a mixed-sex organisation. It is indeed impermissible gender reassignment discrimination.

Plus it would also be sex discrimination against the transmen, with the comparator being transwomen.

Probably not the gestures I'm making at the WI.

An update.

Thank you very much for those contacts.

I also did a quick bit of searching and found that there is an official NFWI Complaints Form that is supposed to be filled in and sent to the Membership and Engagement Team so I have also included them as well.

I am very much about going through the proper channels, so they got a duly completed complaints form as well.

DH and I quickly knocked up a letter this morning before he went to work.

The basic gist of the letter was:

I'm a man who is trying to join the WI and got this response about admitting transwomen.

The WI Constitution specifically talks about the purposes and membership relating solely to women.

We may then have nicked a few lines from Akua Reindorf in order to explain why admitting transwomen is discriminatory and unlawful.

The letter then ended up with what he was looking for as an outcome. This was either to accept him as a man or to alter their policy to reflect the law so that he would have to accept that he cannot join.

He ended the letter with:

"...if the matter is not resolved then I will have to commence a discrimination claim in court. Please treat this as a letter before action and I would expect there to be an outcome from this within 28 days."

So, as I said, on my first post, once more I am waiting with bated breath to see what happens.

ps Thank you for mentioning the Charity Commission, I had not thought of them. When I get time they will receive a copy of the correspondence as well as the EHRC.

Just popping in to say well done and thank you to @Another2Cats and Mr Cats.

And interestingly if your a biological woman you cannot join the Freemasons but a trans woman may. Basically as long as you have a penis you’re in. (not sure what happens if you’ve had a sex change though.)

I looked this up about five years ago when Petra joined the WI Federation and was on the front of the wi magazine

the WI need a similar policy but for women

Following your post with interest OP

This follows the law as a transwoman is still a man and you can’t have a sex change - so they are still a men only organisation…

the WI can do women and transmen as that is women and women… just not women and transwomen as that is women and some men but not other men…

Interested to see how they respond to you and your husband.

I'm invested in this! Very interested to hear their response

And interestingly if your a biological woman you cannot join the Freemasons but a trans woman may. Basically as long as you have a penis you’re in. (not sure what happens if you’ve had a sex change though.)

If I've read the Freemasons' policy in England aright, I don't think that is true. A transman could apply for admission. Whether a transwoman could apply for admission is unclear to me.

"3..Applications for admission
A candidate for admission to Freemasonry under UGLE must be a man. Should a person who has undergone gender reassignment and has become a man apply to become a Freemason then his application must be processed in the same way as for any other male candidate.
Any qualified candidate for admission may be proposed for membership of a private lodge in accordance with the provisions in the Rules contained in the Book of Constitutions. No candidate should be subjected to questions about their gender which could make them feel uncomfortable."

Certainly a transman is considered to have actually changed sex.

"4. Continued membership
A Freemason who after initiation ceases to be a man does not cease to be a Freemason. We expect that Freemasons will act with compassion and sensitivity towards their fellow Freemasons."

But a transwoman in this case is not considered to have changed sex - being able to remain a member if a men-only organisation.

So, Freemasons, which is it? Do humans actually change sex or not?

www.ugle.org.uk/gender-reassignment-policy

You're forgetting the main rule of all of this, which is heads, men win; tails, women lose.

This is really interesting to follow. It is a very classy way to make them take a stance one way or the other.

Thank you to you and your husband. More men need to do this.

Nice to know that a transwoman can be both a member of the WI (at present, according to them) and a Freemason. Most marginalised, eh? Deary me.

Also following with interest. Well done to your DP.

Good on OP's husband and OP.

I think direct action is a good thing. I also think we can sometimes be a bit soft on people. Obviously men should not be turning up and intimidating volunteers, but on the other hand, the public facing volunteers are presumable normal women, not particularly vulnerable women. They are part of an organisation for women, and that - IMHO - gives them a bit of an obligation to know a bit about women and to know and do a bit for women's rights. IMHO. We all - if we have the health and a half decent brain - got a moral obligation to do the right thing sometimes and not simply say "above my paygrade, I know nothing about women's rights or the rules of the Women's Institute that I represent".

I would regard the following as acceptable / good... but maybe I am wrong.

Man (dressed as man, unshaven) turns up at WI meeting, asks to speak to the branch leader. Announces that he has heard that the WI is mixed sex as they allow in men who live as women, and that the WI therefore cannot discriminate against other men. Besides, as a femine man who loves Jane Austen, Abba, Alanis Morrissette and needlework he lives as a woman more than his wife does. Says that he does not wish to cause any trouble and is leaving now, but here are my contact details, and if he doesn't hear anything he will assume it's fine and be at next month's meeting. Bye!

Is Pippa a member?

He ended the letter with:
"...if the matter is not resolved then I will have to commence a discrimination claim in court. Please treat this as a letter before action and I would expect there to be an outcome from this within 28 days."
Brava and bravo.

The EHRC interim update said "We aim to provide the updated Code of Practice to the UK Government by the end of June for ministerial approval." I wonder how long the ministers will take. Parliament recesses on 22nd July.

So if I do that thing where I prop my ankle up on my opposite knee and lean back in my chair with my shoulders back, I’m not living as a woman ?

Your husband is great.

Now he needs to reply saying "Well I've now decided my name is <<feminine version of his name>> and that I'm actually a woman, so can I come now?" As this is quite literally what you have to do to join as a man, it'll be interesting to see how they respond. Maybe include a photo of himself in a wig and makeup. We're going for a Bugs Bunny in drag aesthetic.

So you're suggesting about 3 levels of classiness up from the average TW? [Thinks about F Wallace!]