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Girlguiding is facing legal action from a parent over its policy that allows transgender girls to join. Under the charity’s policy, transgender women, who are born men but identify as women, are also permitted to undertake voluntary roles. One parent, who has spoken out on condition of anonymity to protect her seven-year-old daughter’s identity, has alleged in a pre-action letter that the organisation’s policy “exposes girls to harassment”. She also accused the charity of failing to follow April’s Supreme Court ruling on gender, which states that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex. The decision has far-reaching implications regarding who can access single-sex services and spaces. The letter claims that Girlguiding, Britain’s largest organisation for young girls, operates “as a charity for the benefit of girls and young women”. However, the letter argues that its policy “constitutes and encourages unwanted conduct which violates their [girls’] dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment”. “This includes, but is not limited to: sharing toilets, showers or changing facilities with boys, contact sports with boys, and sharing accommodation with boys, all without their prior knowledge or consent.” It is further alleged that despite publicly stating that it would take time to consider what the Supreme Court ruling might mean “to ensure none of our members face discrimination”, Girlguiding “continues to operate in an unlawfully discriminatory manner”. ‘Proudly trans-inclusive’ since 2018 The letter, reported by The Times, is the latest update in a dispute regarding the charity’s policy, which dates back to 2018 when it changed its rules on single-sex admittance to become “proudly trans-inclusive”. Last year Girlguiding announced that it would introduce a new “inclusive” uniform following a row over trans children joining the organisation. A consultation was launched to make uniforms across Girlguiding, Rainbows, Brownies and Rangers “more coherent” with a “look and feel that unifies all the sections across the organisation”. The announcement came after the charity was involved in a number of controversies over trans children joining the clubs. In 2022, an article was published in the Girlguiding Magazine about a seven-year-old child named Rainbow who was biologically male but had lived as a girl from the age of five. The article, written by Rainbow’s parents, advised that “trans girls feel like girls and should be treated as such” as “they are the same on the inside, where it counts”. It came after the organisation was sued by Dr Katie Alcock, a former Girl Guide leader it had expelled for challenging the organisation’s trans policy. Dr Alcock, a mother of two, who sued Girlguiding for discriminating against her on the basis of her gender-critical views, later reached an out-of-court settlement with the club. Responding to the latest update regarding the letter, Maya Forstater, of sex-based rights charity Sex Matters, commented: “We regularly hear from parents and guide leaders who are concerned about Girlguiding’s unsafe and unworkable policy. “They tell us that their young teen daughters are not comfortable with the prospect of washing and sleeping in close proximity to either male guides or leaders. “They don’t feel able to express it publicly, because they are afraid of being labelled ‘transphobic’ and of being bullied out of the organisation.” She added: “So many women have told us how having a girl-only organisation was important to them as they grew up, giving them the opportunity to try things and to grow in confidence and how hurt and betrayed they feel by the organisation. “Girlguiding should be empowering today’s girls instead of using them to provide a form of experimental therapy to boys who are unhappy about being boys. “Many say they are voting silently with their feet and just not joining their daughters up to be Brownies or Guides or serving as Guide Leaders any more. “The Equality and Human Rights Commission and the Charity Commission must step in and require charities that were set up for women and girls to fulfil their purpose.” A spokesman for Girlguiding said: “The safeguarding and well-being of our members is at the heart of everything we do in guiding. Following the Supreme Court ruling, we are working closely with external advisors to ensure our policies remain lawful. We remain firmly committed to treating everyone with dignity and respect throughout this time.”
