David Vance SubstackRead More
Let’s start at the very beginning.
In 1908, Lord Baden-Powell founded the Boy Scouts, aimed at building character and practical skills in boys. At a major Scout rally at London’s Crystal Palace in 1909, a group of determined girls turned up in improvised uniforms, calling themselves “Girl Scouts” and demanding to take part. (Were they the original girl bosses?) Anyway, in response, Baden-Powell decided to create a separate organisation rather than simply mixing girls into the existing Scout troops.
So in 1910 he formally founded the Girl Guides Association in the UK and asked his sister, Agnes Baden-Powell, to lead and adapt his Scouting ideas for girls.
When I was young I joined the Scouts for a few years and my sister joined the Girl Guides so Baden Powell’s idea did endure the 20th century.
But along came the trans activist movement and bowing down to its demand, trans girls were accepted into its ranks from 2017. That was when it updated its “Supporting Trans Members” guidance to say that anyone who self‑identifies as a girl or young woman could join. The guidance made clear that Girlguiding would treat people “according to their acquired gender,” in line with its interpretation of the Equality Act at the time. So biological males who identified as girls were allowed to become members and, as adults, leaders. Mental illness was legitimised and accepted.
I know, when you see that in writing it sounds bonkers, and so it was!
But along comes the welcome news today that Girlguiding UK has confirmed that transgender girls will have to leave the organisation by early September, following a change in its membership rules prompted by a landmark legal ruling.
The move comes after the Supreme Court ruled in 2025 that, for the purposes of equality law, “sex” must be understood as biological sex rather than “gender identity”.
Back in December, Girlguiding announced it would stop accepting biological boys who identify as girls, and it has now set a deadline for existing transgender members to depart.
“Transgender girls” will remain members until 6 September, giving families several months to adjust. Girlguiding said this period was intended to allow “affected members and their families time to plan, prepare, access support, and decide when – between now and September – they feel ready to leave”.
“Transgender girls and women” who currently hold volunteer positions that are restricted to females will also have to step down or move into roles that are open to all volunteers.
Girlguiding said it was updating its policies to remain compliant with equality legislation while continuing to provide a single-sex environment for girls.
It has taken almost a decade to reverse the trans madness of 2017 but at last the Girl Guides will be return to being an organisation for GIRLS, not confused boys who think they might be girls! I welcome this policy reversal, do you?
