Girlguiding has announced that transgender girls and women currently in the organisation must leave by September 2026, following the Supreme Court ruling on gender last year. The decision affects young members and volunteer roles open only to women, while trans boys, trans men, and non-binary people assigned female at birth are not impacted.
The organisation stated the deadline was chosen to give maximum notice and allow current members to participate in summer activities. In a joint statement, Girlguiding leaders said their values of 'dignity, respect and inclusion' remain unchanged, but they 'must operate lawfully' and that 'living by our values cannot change our legal responsibilities'.
The Trans+ Solidarity Alliance criticised the move, saying 'inclusive organisations being bullied into excluding people against their will is a profound failure of this government'. Girlguiding volunteer Lily, 28, described 'devastation' among members, adding 'this is supposed to be a safe space for all girls and women, so there's a complete sense of loss and betrayal'.
Some volunteers have formed the Guiders Against Trans Exclusion group to protest, with demonstrations planned nationwide. Concerns have been raised about potential abuse towards young members wearing uniforms in public. Lily, who joined at age seven, said 'the safe space that Girlguiding once provided has just been decimated'.
In December, Girlguiding had already stopped accepting new trans girls. The Supreme Court ruling in April 2025 clarified that 'woman' and 'sex' in the Equality Act refer to biological sex, affecting access to single-sex services. Other organisations, such as the Women's Institute, have taken similar steps.
Helen Joyce of Sex Matters said the decision is 'the right thing to do' and will be a relief to many girls and parents. Girlguiding, which has around 300,000 young members and 80,000 volunteers, had faced legal action over its previous policy allowing trans girls since 2018.
