Protests are scheduled in multiple UK cities this weekend in response to Girlguiding's recent decision to prohibit transgender girls from joining its groups. The charity, which oversees Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, and Rangers, announced the policy shift in early December, reversing its previous stance of being "proudly trans inclusive."
The organization stated it made the "difficult decision" following legal advice prompted by an April Supreme Court ruling in the case of For Women Scotland vs Scottish Ministers. That judgment interpreted the protected characteristic of "sex" under the 2010 Equality Act as referring solely to "biological sex," excluding transgender individuals. Girlguiding's updated equality policy now specifies it will only accept "biologically female" members, which it says includes trans boys, aligning with this legal interpretation.
Critics have noted a significant gap in the charity's decision-making process: Girlguiding confirmed to PinkNews that it has never collected data on transgender members, meaning it does not know how many children are affected by the ban. Trans girls had been officially permitted to join since 2017 under earlier inclusive guidelines.
The move has sparked widespread condemnation. Current and former members have voiced opposition, some leaders have stated they will not enforce the ban, and thousands have signed a petition demanding a reversal. Ashley James, an ambassador for the organization, resigned from her role in protest.
In response, the campaign group GirlguidingForAll has organised demonstrations set to take place in London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Sheffield. The majority are planned for Saturday afternoon, with one in Cardiff scheduled for Monday. Organizers are encouraging attendees to review a Protest Code of Conduct beforehand.
