Latest Girlguiding email this evening

[clementina25]

I have just received a new email from Girlguiding. They are planning on setting up a task force - 'Today, we're launching a taskforce to explore new opportunities for trans girls, trans young women and trans women. You can help us by sharing your ideas and/or expressing an interest in contributing to our taskforce. '
I'm thinking that it's really important that sex realists are included on this task force as I think that there will be pressure from the Trans handmaidens to change Girlguiding to a mixed sex organisation. Is there anyone else who has received this email and would be keen to collaborate?

It's the old testing the waters, and crying transphobia if they can't have their way.

That is very upsetting.

It was appalling.

They couldn't be bothered even to devote a few minutes or lines to these girls in response to concerns about bullying.

Probably worth sending this to the charity commission. They've just documented that as a trustee group they have chosen to spend funds outside their charitable remit

I did wonder about doing this. I think I may. I've kept the emails, as they were so shocking to me.

Can I ask which mailbox the emails came from?

Wellbeing.

Ironically.

This needs rooting out. That a distinguished, long running club should ever have got so entrenched that it is still using its time
and funds after the court decision to support those who have no place being there is frightening.

That's difficult to believe.

There's no way this is representative of all the leaders.

I hope it gets in the papers and yes, the charity commission needs to address it.

Did anyone see the protests? I do hope leaders weren't pressurising their girls to attend.

Looking at their guidance page, I am not sure if it is GG staff or a third party marketing agency staffing the wellbeing email address. That doesn't make the response acceptable; GG are still responsible for briefing and supervising.

https://www.girlguiding.org.uk/information-for-volunteers/updates-for-our-members/practical-support-following-changes-to-our-equality-and-diversity-policy/

"Wellbeing support for all members
We know these changes may be upsetting for our members, and it is important that everyone feels supported." [emphasis added]

"We have our special support team in place, to give volunteers and members the best support we can.

All calls/emails will be confidential.
Contact [email protected], 020 7592 3970.

Find out more, including how this team will handle personal data."

The find out more link takes you to the data privacy policy of Mango Ethical Direct Marketing Ltd:
https://www.girlguiding.org.uk/globalassets/docs-and-resources/mango-data-privacy-policy.pdf

Which ones?

All young men and young women, boys and girls have the option to join other organisations which are mixed, such as the Scouts.

I recognise the pain this will cause those who are in the Guides and now are no longer able to be members, however the law is clear. As I have mentioned on other threads, this pain could have been avoided if years ago the then government had made clear and in law when biology applies not self ID. If it had not been for Brexit consuming so much political time and then three years of the worst misogynistic Prime Minister in recent history, maybe this could have happened.

I'd honestly be happy to share the emails with a journalist, on the condition I was able to remain anonymous.

In the interests of accuracy, the second email, inevitably, ended with the usual softening platitudes about "all members being important" or similar, but the message itself was unambiguous: they had no intention of devoting a single word to my actual, stated concerns about the wellbeing of this particular demographic, as it was not of importance.

I'm aware it won't - thank goodness - be all leaders, but the two replies together established a clear pattern of bias, as well as a disturbing confidence on someone's part in doubling down in this way.

I believe GirlGuiding's created a culture in which this can be seen as an appropriate response to such blasphemous emails as mine. And if so, what of the children who share my beliefs that single-sex spaces matter, who don't have the security of a computer screen to hide behind? It honestly couldn't have been a more ironic demonstration of the validity of my concerns!

Really interesting, thank you.

It was that email address, with the Buckingham Palace Road street address at the base. The phone number provided is difference to the one you cite, though 🤷‍♂️.

It shouldn't make much difference if it was an agency, though, tbh - it's still written in Guiding's name, as their view.

thanks for the link.

I asked them why they would want to place GG in the position of socially transitioning boys, start of pathway to PBs & cross sex hormones. Social transition is not harmless & is not recommended by Cass Review etc.

That really is dreadful. Plus simply wrong. Any girl who doesn’t believe boys can become girls, or indeed any girl who is young and has not been exposed to this ideology until they start getting taught about it in Rainbows, is ‘directly affected’.

That was my thought. I've got a huge amount on sympathy with transgirl members right now - I get that they're more directly affected in the most literal sense, and even as I agree with the decision, think it's awful they're in that position. But my thinking in emailing was that girls are also being affected in different ways that could be similarly damaging, which aren't perhaps being acknowledged. They lack the very vocal support the "other side" currently has, and are instead potentially being given the impression that a preference for single-sex spaces is wrong (dangerous) and even that they're misguided (pun not intended) or fundamentally "bad" people in some way. I really do think that could do a fair amount of damage at that age, whether you're silently worrying about it, too scared to speak up, or are "out" and being skilfully targeted by your peers (I mean, look at what's gone on at Cambridge).

Does anyone know how many transgirls there actually are in the Guides at the moment?

I can't believe that there are many tbh.

True. I'd honestly imagine very few as well. Although that's not the impression being given right now.

Guiding's next reply was firm. They literally told me that the wellbeing of such girls isn't a "current priority". That their focus is, instead, on those "most directly affected" by the decision. That they had nothing more to add.

This goes hand in hand with the stubborn ideology on which they base their convictions: that the trans people are centred completely and that other people are somehow 'not affected'.

We also see it when supposedly 'kind and caring' organisations fall over themselves to welcome men into the women's facilities, but suddenly totally 'forget' to 'be kind' to the women to whom the facilities actually belong - with the curt order to women who don't want men in there (even those whose religions forbid them to share with men) to 'find alternative facilities'.

Women are painted as aggressors simply for wanting to keep what is rightfully theirs, whilst the ones who have their own facilities but also want somebody else's to choose from as well are painted as 'poor victims'.

Impetuous and selfish little children sometimes try it on when they're given their share of a cake and wolf it down immediately - and then complain bitterly when their more patient sibling still has their own left and "won't share"... but you would hope that adults would normally have developed beyond this mindset long ago.

I have lodged a complaint with GG, basically saying that I'm very concerned about the protests against their new policy, and that I hope that they will be making it clear to all volunteers that taking part in such protests is contrary to the Girlguiding code of practice, which requires all volunteers to abide by Girlguiding policies. I have offered my help on the forum to support them in the implementation of the revised policy, and that I recognise that the organisation is going through a challenging time. I'm hoping that this approach might be more useful in influencing them than hectoring them. As after all they have changed the policy, which is a great relief. Now they have to follow through and make sure it is enforced. If this results in volunteers leaving, so be it. Hopefully others who left or didn't volunteer previously due to the Trans issue, might step in and fill the gaps.

And this is why my two DD will not be joining the guides

Wow! This is appalling….someone high up in the GG must have a trans son in the GG🤔

I saw the Sky News report on the pro-trans demonstrations outside GG HQs today - there were 3 demos around the UK I think they said. They got a lot of airtime, Maya got to give a quick, calm and to-the-point response, but I wouldn't call it 'balance'.
There was one brave woman holding a sign supporting the girl in GG, the Sky reporter briefly spoke to her and she made her point to camera.
A very brave woman, really put herself out there - well done and thank you, whoever you are✊