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 [1].
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 [2].
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.