Transgender girls told to leave Girlguiding groups by September

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Michael Sheils McNamee

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The organisation that oversees girl guide groups in the UK has said transgender girls must leave the organisation by September.

It follows an announcement in December by Girlguiding that it would no longer allow biological boys who identify as girls to join.

It said the action was being taken in response to the Supreme Court ruling in 2025 that said sex meant biological sex in equality law.

Campaign group Trans+ Solidarity Alliance described the news as “heartbreaking” for children. Sex-based rights group Sex Matters said it was “the right thing” for Girlguiding to do.

Girlguiding said the timeframe allowed “affected members and their families time to plan, prepare, access support, and decide when - between now and September - they feel ready to leave”.

Transgender members of Girlguiding have until 6 September. The organisation said that any transgender girls or women currently volunteering in a role open to women only will need to move to a role that is open to all volunteers.

It is not clear how many people will be directly affected by the rule change, as the organisation says it does not collect data on gender identity.

Girlguiding said its original decision was made to ensure the organisation was “operating lawfully” and was in keeping with its governing charity documents, “which affect how our membership eligibility is defined”.

Andrea Domeniconi / LightRocket via Getty Images

Protesters demonstrated outside the Girlguiding headquarters in London following the announcement in December

Girl guide members can range in age from four to 18. There are currently about 300,000 members across the Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers groups, as well as around 80,000 volunteers.

Girlguiding said since 2025 it had been engaging with charities and other organisations to help deal with the effect of the Supreme Court decision.

It called for the guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission on the issue to be “clear, workable and informed by the voices of young people and volunteering organisations”.

“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,” it added.

Campaign group Trans+ Solidarity Alliance said the update showed “inclusive organisations being bullied into excluding people against their will” and said it was a “failure of this government to live up to its promises to the trans community”.

Helen Joyce, director of advocacy at Sex Matters, said: “This news will come as a relief to many girls and their parents, who greatly value single-sex provision.”

What does trans mean and why is there a debate about transgender people’s rights?

Trans girls can no longer join Girlguiding, organisation says

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