Girl Guiding is facing legal action over its delay implementing a ban on transgender members, temporarily allowing them to remain in the organisation.The mother of one guide has ordered lawyers to prepare a pre-action letter arguing the way the ban was set out presented a safeguarding issue.
The legal challenge is expected to claim Girlguiding, the largest girl-only youth organisation in the UK, failed to meet its safeguarding obligations by delaying implementation of the policy and continuing to allow biological males to be involved in the girl’s adventuring group.The charity made the decision after the Supreme Court ruling on the definition of sex in April last year.
Under its new policy, trans-identifying biological males are not allowed to join the organisation, and trans members currently in the programme must leave by September this year.The legal challenge put forward by the mother of a seven-year-old daughter, who has asked to remain anonymous, will argue that existing trans members creates a problem for girls sharing tents or washing facilities in camps this summer.She told The Telegraph: “Girlguiding says it trusts its leaders to implement the new rules – but some are clearly not following them.”If they can’t be trusted to follow the rules, how can they be trusted to keep children safe.”
Girlguiding will not allow new trans members, and will kick out all current biological males in the charity by September | GETTY
The legal challenge will also address concerns of trans activism among patrol leaders.Some leaders have reportedly bought pro-trans badges for their units, and encouraged children to attend protests and distribute unofficial materials about gender identity.Maya Forstater, chief executive of Sex Matters, said: “This summer will be a busy period for residential camps and activities, so Girlguiding’s trustees must surely be thinking of the legal and safety risks over the next six months of still having boys who identify as girls as guides, and men who identify as women as guide leaders.”She added that the policy was “obviously dangerous” to begin with, and is now “undeniably unlawful”.
Critics of the delay have raised concerns that biological males will share accommodation and washing facilities over the summer at camp | GETTY
She proposed a series of interim policies to guarantee biological males are kept separate from girls in accommodation, toilets, showers, and changing rooms.Messages seen by The Telegraph have revealed some leader, or commissioners, as senior volunteers are known, do not intend to enforce the December decision to ban trans members.Some have resigned in protest of the new Girlguiding rules, and others have considered doing so.A leader of the Rainbows age group – the youngest age group in Girlguiding – said resigning volunteers should make their final session “memorable” by telling children it “doesn’t matter…what you have in your pants”.
Girlguiding was founded in 1910 and first allowed trans members in 2017 | GETTY
In another message exchange, a unit leader suggested ripping and burning Girlguiding resources around a campfire.A Girlguiding spokesman said the organisation introduced the ban “to make sure we were operating lawfully and following our governing charity documents”.He said allowing existing trans members to remain until September would give their families “time to plan, prepare, access support, and decide when … they feel ready to leave”.The spokesman added that Girlguiding remained “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”.A spokesman for Guiders Against Trans Exclusion (Gate), a non-affiliated group which opposes the ban, said: “Gate leadership cannot comment on opinions expressed by individual guide leaders.”Gate’s activity packs and resources remain in line with Girlguiding policy.”