Girlguiding faces legal action from parent over trans policy

[Misla]

Good. Well done that parent!

Charity is accused of failing to follow Supreme Court ruling on gender, leaving girls ‘exposed to harassment’

Girlguiding is facing legal action from a parent over its transgender policy which she claims discriminates against her seven-year-old daughter.

The claimant, who has asked to remain anonymous to protect her daughter’s identity, has alleged in a pre-action letter to Girlguiding that the organisation’s policy “exposes girls to harassment”.

Under the policy, trans girls — boys who identify as girls — are allowed to join Girlguiding, and trans women — adult males who identify as female — are permitted to undertake volunteer roles previously reserved for women.

“It constitutes and encourages unwanted conduct which violates their [girls’] dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment,” the correspondence said.

“This includes, but is not limited to: sharing toilets, showers or changing facilities with boys, contact sports with boys, and sharing accommodation with boys, all without their prior knowledge or consent.”

The letter goes on to point out that Girlguiding operates “as a charity for the benefit of girls and young women”.

Girlguiding faces legal action from parent over trans policy

I have been surprised to discover this might actually tear my leadership team apart. I run Brownies with two others, both a bit younger than me (I'm 41) and we've never really discussed trans issues. Turns out they are both really upset by this decision, and are joining campaign groups, posting petitions etc. Both are considering giving up volunteering and I can't run the unit on my own. I didn't feel like our busy meeting yesterday was the time to start a debate, so said something along the lines of "they've handled the whole thing badly from the start." But I'm wondering if they'll start to infer from my silence...

These are not stupid people. They're both professionals, generally very sensible, and excellent leaders with loads of experience in Guiding. But we seem to be worlds apart on this issue, and I am worried how this is going to play out for us as a team.

Focus on safeguarding law.
Reiterate your policies on safeguarding children.
Leave sex and gender out of it.
Focus on making children safe.

They will see that the emperor has no clothes

So the woodcraft folk are now trying to muscle in on the trans kids who can’t go to guides anymore… because of those mean females….so they’re inviting them to join Woodcraft….

But my friends …. “If you feel that you need dedicated support or you want find and LGBTQ specific youth group… (signposts to another org)”

So those women and girls who want a dedicated group for biological females are despicably unreasonable and mean transphobes… but it’s absolutely fine for the trans kids to do exactly the same thing.

HOW CAN THEY NOT SEE THE FUCKING HYPOCRISY?! 🙈🙈🙈

I would mildly point out that Girlguiding has to obey the law however 'unfortunate' that is. Also tell them they are doing fantastic work supporting girls and you would be sorry to lose them - it would leave their brownies without an organisation. Now is probably not a good time for full disclosure. Good luck.

They could move to Beavers and Cubs where they won't have a problem. I very much enjoyed my time volunteering and we gave great support to boys and girls. Local primary contacted us to thank us for how we had helped children.

And the girls can go with them. We had lots of girls when I volunteered with scouting. No problems.

Yes, loads of girls in all the local Beaver/Cub/Scouts units near me. Ironically there are a couple of brownie packs (one I had to set up 11-12 years ago due to lack of volunteers) and one guide unit serving the town and surrounding villages, but 5-6 different scout units that are choc full of boys and girls in my area.

Whilst I feel it is VERY important to have single sex provisions for girls, the mixed sex Scouts provision is much more popular these days. It was a wise move for them to go co-ed back in the 90’s.

GGUK hammered a nail or two in its own coffin by not recognising the importance and particular value of a girl-only space and protecting it.

Unfortunately I think it's professionals who are the most susceptible to the whole TWAW / TMAM propaganda. And younger people.

That's why there's so much capture in the arts, media, universities etc. It doesn't surprise me that the result of the trans movement is to sow division in women's groups. I wonder if that was the aim all along.

Anyway, I hope you can keep your team together. Good luck.

This is unfortunately my experience too. It's not something we'd discussed, but we we had made plans regarding safeguarding issues and I thought we were quietly in agreement. I've also gone with the GG have handled this badly answer and obviously they have, but I'm shaken by the grenade that has been thrown into our groups.
A PP has mentioned that there is deliberate intent behind this from the MRA activists within trans groups and I suspect there's truth in this.

• Edited to add, the PP didn't mention MRA, but I do feel there is a big element of incel behaviour within trans groups.

Any other leaders seeing snidy Scouts posts on their social media saying "Scouts is open to everyone?"

They still haven't explained how they maintain single sex bathroom/sleeping facilities though.

I don't see what's snidy about stating the truth. What's to explain? We had separate sleeping and toilet facilities.

Separated by what? Sex?

I expect so? The boys know full well they’re boys, and the confused ones who think they’re girls are all in the girl guides, being validated.

In their regulations it's gender - but at least this is clear to parents, who are then free to say "my child needs separate accommodation by sex not gender".

By sex, by age, by friends. Sometimes a lot to work out but we put the children first and made the effort.

So where would a trans child sleep? With children of their sex or chosen gender?

Or a trans leader, for that matter? I wouldn't want to share a tent with a man.

I can't say what would happen In all cases, as I said you consider more than one thing. We camped so if they want to be alone or it was felt they needed to be alone they could be in a one person tent, or they could be with other trans children but with beavers and cubs it wasn't much of an issue, probably more of an issue with the older kids in scouts but again I'm sure leaders work to make sure all children are comfortable. We certainly did.

Evasive answer

So youd like a detailed answer for every pack in every situation? Grow up, is it beyond you to grasp that all sorts of things are considered and worked out every single time you do an activity with a group of kids. Maybe only leaders in scouting can manage that.

I'll tell you something really scandalous my DD went to rainbows and brownies with a boy. He wasn't officially a member but his mother was a leader and he joined in all activities, even went on camps. He was in the same year at school as DD so she knew him well. I wonder how often that happens? It certainly didn't seem to worry any of the girls or their parents.

So youd like a detailed answer for every pack in every situation?

it's called safeguarding. You don't change your policy, depending on the individuals concerned!!

Yes. Because he was known to be a boy. Nobody was making the girls gaslight themselves and pretend he was a girl.

@TheignT So youd like a detailed answer for every pack in every situation

Of course. The application of a detailed child safeguarding policy.

Oh right so boys can go to rainbows/brownies, just trans girls can't. I didn't realise that.

It's like the boy at brownies you work with the situation. I mean if you don't have any trans kids you don't need to do anything. You keep the children you have safe and happy.

You camp in different sites with different facilities, some groups might stay in different accommodation, you have some children with physical disabilities or children with autism. It isn't simple box ticking.

If you or your child want to go to guides then do it, why does it bother you that other people make other choices?

Don't be obtuse. He wasn't a member. His mum was looking after the troupe, so he was allowed to tag along.

Nobody was pretending he was a girl.