Trans girls ordered to leave girl guides in new transphobic policy

Sky News recently reported that trans girls have been told to leave the Guides by 6 September 2026.

Following the Supreme Court’s ruling that biological sex determines gender, individuals and groups have intensified anti-trans rhetoric and increasingly isolated trans women and girls, citing the decision as justification.

This latest move by the Guides will cause significant anxiety and distress for young trans girls. The deadline signifies a reversal of their previous position. Many of us remember their 2018 statement which showed refreshing compassion towards this vulnerable group.

As the Canary has previously reported, in 2018, their guidance explicitly welcomed trans women and girls.

This makes clear how far anti-trans rhetoric has gone in the UK. The far right have deliberately portrayed trans people as a dangerous threat. Their narrative has lost any moral grounding it seeks to depend upon.

Trans girls, after all, are just that: children.

Trans children demonised: guides have lost their backbone

This decision reflects a troubling pattern of institutions cowing to billionaire-backed, far-right groups that are targeting and scapegoating trans people. Even more concerning is the impact on young trans girls—now excluded from the very spaces that welcomed them. This ostracises and isolates them from their peers.

This X account drew attention to the Guide’s statement on trans policy in 2018 under former Chief Exec Julie Bentley:

Back in 2018, the group rightfully raised the alarm over the way in which trans girls were being demonised in far-right public discourse.

At the time, the Guides expressed disappointment with the suggestion that the inclusion of trans children “puts” others at risk of harm. In their words:

It is quite frankly disturbing that people assume that a trans child is a threat to others or that they would want to harm their Girlguiding friends.

But we do also recognise that there are legitimate concerns and queries around the practicalities of self-identifying girls sharing sleeping and bathroom facilities, and that’s why we offer bespoke guidance for any leader who is looking to run an activity, like a camp, that’s going to involve a trans child.

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“They are simply children”

One X account commenting on these past statements, said the group’s change of tack is likely a response to:

the threat of litigation by middle class middle aged bigots who have media sway is too much for charities.

It is also worth noting that their 2018 statement was based around a survey of girls and young women which showed 86% in support of trans-inclusive policies.

In an expression of solidarity, another X user said:

Well done for publishing this. It’s a sad day for the trans community.

All this hate they are getting, now that transphobes have been given ammunition against them.

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A lot can change in eight years. In 2023, the guides appointed a new Chief Executive, Felicity Oswald.  Since then, new initiatives aimed at growing membership have been introduced, under the motto “Girls Can Do Anything.”

Notwithstanding this new direction, they have failed to protect all children, and abandoned principles of equality.

Discrimination was bound to happen

The Supreme Court’s ruling worked to roll back trans rights by two decades, as we wrote last year:

By prioritising a gender normative definition of sex over legal gender recognition, the court’s decision disregards the lived experiences and identities of trans women. It raises questions about their access to single-sex spaces, participation in public life, and protection against discrimination.​

The Supreme Court’s decision reflects a troubling trend within politics and justice to favour a narrow, right-wing view of gender, ignoring the complexities of gender identity and trampling over the rights of trans people.

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This approach fails to consider the social and legal realities and plays right into the hands of the anti-trans lobby, the far-right, and bigots.

The Women’s Institute (WI) almost immediately banned trans women from their events following this shortsighted and extremely damaging ruling. Of course, this has caused significant distress for trans communities who are being pushed out of public life.

Abandoning children is a choice

However, the Charity Commission even intervened to say that no charities were under any pressure to rush to change policies after the controversial ruling, suggesting they are:

within their rights to wait for statutory guidance before abandoning their trans-inclusive policies.

The decision from Girlguiding is a result of capitulation to far-right bigots who are attempting to demonise trans people. Choosing to further isolate already marginalised children from their peers is a sickening decision.

The fact that the group in 2018 had no problem including trans children speaks volumes about the UK’s gigantic swerve towards openly transphobic politics in recent years. One of the Girlguiding mottos is:

We help girls know they can do anything

As long as they’re the right kind of girls.

Featured image via the Canary