Girlguiding UK has updated its membership policy, stating it will no longer accept new applications from transgender girls or women, following a threatened legal challenge from a parent claiming the organization could not simultaneously operate as a single-sex space while admitting trans members.
Girlguiding clarified that the updated definition of “girl and woman” will reflect the Equality Act 2010 interpretation of biological sex, not gender identity, but emphasized that no currently enrolled youth members or volunteers will be asked to leave. Existing trans participants may remain without review or expulsion. The change applies only to new applicants.
For years, Girlguiding had maintained that being transgender “does not make someone more of a safeguarding risk than any other person.” This messaging reassured many trans girls and their families, who saw the organization as one of the few structured youth environments centered on safety, belonging, skill-building, leadership, and community.
Advocates and parents of transgender children reacted with concern, stating the policy’s timing creates additional emotional pressure on trans teens already navigating social and political scrutiny. Some note this decision arrives amid broader national debates about how organizations legally define sex and whether single-sex settings can allow gender-based admissions without conflicting with governing documents like Royal Charters or nonprofit mandates.
Multiple LGBTQ+ support organizations questioned the implications for future youth inclusion programs, arguing that many young trans girls simply hoped to gain confidence, make friends, participate in camps, learn leadership, and grow in community spaces without needing to justify their identity or exist under a legal microscope. These voices maintain that youth organizations should continue prioritizing emotional safety alongside physical safeguarding frameworks.
Supporters of the updated policy argue that consistency for camps, shared accommodations, and girls-only adventure programs requires bright-line criteria, especially in private settings like overnight events, where privacy and safeguarding expectations were designed around single-sex participation. Some maintain that operational clarity protects the organization’s founding goals, even if those boundaries shift away from earlier inclusion messaging.
The policy reversal reflects a wider trend in the UK nonprofit sector as organizations reassess member structures to align with evolving legal interpretations. Charities attempting to serve women and girls have reviewed how courts currently define “sex,” prompting policy revisions that impact entry for new trans youth applicants. Some legal analysts suggest that organizations continuing to identify as single-sex may face increasing pressure to demonstrate that their membership policies match the biological criteria outlined in governing frameworks.
Girlguiding did not issue negative statements about its current trans members but reiterated that adapting its admissions structure was necessary to maintain compliance and clarity within its girls-only mandate going forward.
Even as the policy restricts future entry, families and advocates continue to push for a central message: every girl deserves a safe community, access to leadership skills, and a structured place to grow without shame or stigma. For now, advocates say that organizations serving trans girls must double down on providing the youth inclusion, mentorship, and community that so many girls still urgently need.
