A leader of a Brownie group in Norfolk has described how last-minute notice about a ban on transgender girl-guides left them “angry and disappointed.”

The ban, which was announced by Girlguiding on 2 December, will prevent transgender girls from being able to join the organisation.

But local guides were given little warning about the change, with a leader from Norfolk explaining that she was informed only two hours before it was officially published on Girlguiding social media.

“I had not read the email from Girlguiding when it was sent to me at 2pm that day,” they said.

“I only saw the social media post at 4pm, not long after it was released. We were given less than 2 hours’ notice. I was incredibly angry and disappointed.” 

The ban has been met with backlash on social media, with comments restricted less than an hour after the initial statement was posted. 

Repeat comments reading “This is not my Girlguiding” and “This was the wrong decision” appeared on the posts before the block.

In a statment, Girlguiding said: “Girlguiding believes strongly in inclusion, and we will continue to support young people and adults in marginalised groups.

“Over the next few months, we will explore opportunities to champion this value and actively support young people who need us.”

Equality Act

The ban comes after the Supreme Court ruled that sex and gender can be defined by biological sex at birth through the 2010 Equality Act. 

Currently, there are no official guidelines on how to interpret the law by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). 

Girlguiding does not collect data on gender identity, so it is uncertain how many young members the change will affect. 

The Girlguiding website states that there will be “more information shared next week”. They have also added a support number and email address for leaders to discuss their unit situations. You can see the page on their website HERE.

Volunteers leaving

There are growing concerns about how the changes will impact the number of volunteers, with many saying that they are considering leaving on social media and in interviews.

Volunteers have already started a campaign against the decision. 

An Instagram and TikTok account called @guidingforall is collecting statements from former and current members and has organised marches to take place in London and Edinburgh on Saturday, 13th December. 

A petition has also begun on change.org to ‘allow transgender women and girls back in GirlGuiding UK’. 

At the time of writing, it currently stands at over 15,000 signatures.

Image Credit: Flickr