Trans girls can no longer join Girlguiding, organisation says

Girlguiding is responsible for youth girl groups including Brownies and Guides

The organisation that oversees girl guide groups in the UK has announced it is banning trans girls from joining.

Girlguiding said the move – which means it will not accept biological boys who identify as girls - was in response to the Supreme Court ruling earlier this year that said sex meant biological sex in equality law.

The trustees said they had made the "difficult decision" with a "heavy heart" and there would be further announcements on what this will mean for current members.

Trans rights organisation TransActual said: "There is no problem being solved here, only harm being done." Women's rights charity Sex Matters said Girlguiding had done the "right thing" in making the change.

Around 385,000 girls and young women between the ages of four and 18 take part in Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers groups around the UK.

Girlguiding said: "From today (2 December) trans girls and young women, and others not recorded female at birth, will no longer be able to join Girlguiding as new young members."

Girlguiding said there would be no immediate changes for young members, but more information would be shared next week.

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

"This is a decision we would have preferred not to make, and we know that this may be upsetting for members of our community," the trustees said.

"Girlguiding believes strongly in inclusion, and we will continue to support young people and adults in marginalised groups."

In UK law, the 2010 Equality Act sets out the rules for single sex organisations and spaces being able to exclude members of the opposite sex.

In April, the Supreme Court ruled that this meant biological sex, meaning, for example, that a trans man could be excluded from a service set up for men.

Draft guidelines on how to interpret the law by the equality watchdog, the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), were presented to the government for consideration in September. A leaked copy was reported on last week, but it has not been officially published.

Girlguiding said it has made its decision following consultation with members and legal advice. It will now allow only biologically female members to join.

It said: "Girlguiding's governing charity documents set out that the membership and people who benefit from our organisation are girls and women."

The organisation was reportedly facing legal action from a parent who felt it was failing to follow the law.

Biological girls who identify as boys are still able to join.

The organisation also said most adult roles were already open to all and it was "confident that no volunteers will have to leave".

Other adult roles are already designated specifically as female roles.

Reacting to the decision, Sex Matter's CEO Maya Forstater said Girlguiding had done the "right and only thing for it to do".

"Both girls and boys deserve to have opportunities for adventure and learning, and Girlguiding provides an organisation that is just for girls."

Tammy Hymas, from trans rights campaigners TransActual, said: "It's awful that an organisation, which would happily be inclusive and has been for many years, is being forced to exclude young trans girls".