View source for Girlguiding and transgender membership

[[Girlguiding]] is the UK's largest youth organisation for girls, encompassing Rainbows, 
Brownies, Guides and Rangers. Its policy on transgender membership has changed 
significantly since 2017 and has been the subject of considerable public debate.

==Transgender inclusion (2017–2025)==
In 2017 Girlguiding introduced guidelines explicitly welcoming transgender girls, with 
its chief executive Julie Bentley stating the organisation would "welcome any young 
person who self-identifies as a girl or young woman." The policy was described by 
Girlguiding as making it "proudly trans inclusive." Adult volunteer roles had been open 
to all genders since the organisation's founding in 1910.

==The 2025 ban==
On 2 December 2025, following the April 2025 UK Supreme Court ruling in 
[[For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers]], Girlguiding's Board of Trustees 
announced that trans girls and young women would no longer be able to join as new 
members. The organisation's updated equality and diversity policy restricted membership 
to those "biologically female" at birth <ref>https://www.girlguiding.org.uk/information-for-volunteers/updates-for-our-members/equality-diversity-policy-statement/</ref>.

Girlguiding described the decision as one it "would have preferred not to make" and 
attributed it to expert legal advice following the Supreme Court judgment. Existing 
trans girl members were not immediately affected, but a deadline of September 2026 was 
subsequently set for their departure from the organisation <ref>https://www.thepinknews.com/2026/03/24/girlguiding-sets-september-deadline-for-trans-girls-to-leave-after-ban/</ref>.

Notably, the ban applied to trans girls (those assigned male at birth who identify as 
girls) but not to trans boys (those assigned female at birth who identify as boys), who 
remained eligible for membership as they were recorded female at birth.

Adult volunteer roles were confirmed as remaining open to all genders.

==Reactions==
The decision was met with widespread condemnation from LGBT+ organisations, former 
members, and Girlguiding unit leaders. Many leaders publicly stated they would refuse 
to enforce the ban. A campaign group, Guiders Against Trans Exclusion, organised 
protests outside Girlguiding's London headquarters in December 2025, with hundreds of 
current and former members attending in uniform carrying placards reading "You taught 
me to be kind and helpful: I stand with trans girls."

TransActual chair Helen Belcher condemned the decision. Musician Shirley Manson 
described the ban as "cruel and nonsensical" during a performance at the Royal Albert 
Hall. A petition against the ban gathered thousands of signatures within hours of the 
announcement.

Girlguiding confirmed it did not hold data on how many trans girls were members at the 
time of the ban, raising questions about how the policy would be enforced.

==Context==
The Women's Institute — the UK's largest women's organisation — announced a similar 
policy change in December 2025, also citing the Supreme Court ruling. Both decisions 
prompted branches across the country to consider their futures within the organisations.

==See also==
* [[Transgender]]
* [[For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers]]
* [[Gender Recognition Act]]

==References==
<references>

[[Category:Trans]]
[[Category:Organisations]]
[[Category:History]]