In a press release which has gone viral on the internet, the trans affirming women of Manchester WI have announced the closure of their branch. They wrote "IN December 2025, the WI announced a change to its membership rules, to exclude transgender women from being members of the organisation. Following consultation with Manchester WI members, it was immediately clear that this position is strongly against the ethos of our group. A majority of our members, including those on our committee have made the decision that we will not be counting as members of the WI next year . We do not have enough members to fill the vacant officer roles. and as a result Manchester WI will be suspending its activities from April 2026. This was not a decision taken lightly. Manchester WI was formed in 2012 and has been incredibly important to many of us. Thank you to everyone who has played a role in being a member of our community since the start."