Deadline imposed for transgender girls to leave Girlguiding
Transgender girls must leave Girlguiding by 6 September, the charity has said today.The charity also announced that trans girls or women who are volunteering in roles “open to women only” would also be required to move positions or leave the charity.Girlguiding announced in December that it had “reached the difficult decision” that trans girls and young women, and others not recorded as female at birth, “will no longer be able to join Girlguiding as new young members”.The charity said the decision “was made to make sure we were operating lawfully and follow our governing charity documents, which affect how our membership eligibility is defined. ” The move followed a ruling by the Supreme Court in April 2025 that the terms “woman” and “sex” in the 2010 Equality Act “refer to a biological woman and biological sex”, which raised questions about who can access women-only spaces and services.Girlguiding today shared “further operational information with our members about the timings for this change”, including the news that transgender girls who are members of the charity would have to leave. The statement said: “Current young members who are trans girls can stay with Girlguiding until 6 September 2026. “This allows affected members and their families time to plan, prepare, access support and decide when – between now and September – they feel ready to leave. “Any trans girl or trans woman who is currently volunteering in a role open to women only will need to move to a role that is open to all volunteers by 6 September 2026.” A spokesperson for Girlguiding said the charity did not hold a record of the specific number of trans people who are members “but think it is likely to be a similar proportion to wider society”. Asked how the charity would manage a situation where a transgender girl did not leave the organisation of her own volition by the deadline, the spokesperson said: “If a young member who is a trans girl chooses to remain in Girlguiding after 6 September, this would be reviewed and investigated carefully through our usual procedures.” When asked how volunteer roles would be enforced, they said: “We trust Girlguiding volunteers. Girlguiding has a code of conduct that must be met by all members and volunteers. “If someone chooses to stay in a role which they know they are no longer eligible for, then this would be reviewed and investigated as part of our normal complaints procedure.” According to the charity’s website, volunteer roles that are open only to women whose sex at birth is female include unit leaders, young leaders and district commissioners. Volunteer roles supporting guiding that remain open to all include district presidents, individual volunteer supporters, unit helpers and young external volunteers. Girlguiding said it had been engaging with the government on its support for charities and organisations navigating the impact of the Supreme Court’s decision since 2025. The charity said: “We want the forthcoming Equality and Human Rights Commission guidance to be clear, workable and informed by the voices of young people and volunteering organisations, to ensure that the wellbeing of all girls remains at its heart. “Girlguiding exists to empower girls and young women and help create a more equal world. Our values and beliefs have not changed. We remain committed to standing up for the rights, safety and dignity of girls and women, and to supporting marginalised communities, including LGBTQ+ people, to improve the lives of girls.”
