A Brownies volunteer leader in the UK has said they will not enforce Girlguiding’s newly announced ban on trans girls joining its youth groups, calling the move unenforceable and discriminatory.
The volunteer, who leads a Brownies unit and spoke anonymously to PinkNews, said they refuse to “police” children’s gender identity following a major policy shift announced by the organisation earlier this week.
The updated Equality and Diversity Policy now limits membership in under-18 groups — including Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, and Rangers — to “biologically female” children only. The decision follows a recent UK Supreme Court ruling clarifying the legal definition of “sex” under the 2010 Equality Act.
‘Any Girl Can Join My Unit’
In defiance of the change, the volunteer stated: “Any girl who wants to join my unit can join my unit. I’m not going to police that. As far as I’m concerned, there’s no way we can enforce that.”
The leader, who has several years of experience with Girlguiding, said the organisation’s volunteers were notified of the policy update on the same day the media received it. The internal communication included minimal details and left many questions unanswered.
“We had an email when the ruling came out [in April] saying we’re not changing our E&D policy. Then we got another email on 2 December, but when I searched online, the news was already everywhere,” they explained.
The email claimed the decision was informed by “detailed considerations, expert legal advice, and input from senior members, young members, and our council.” But the volunteer said they were unaware of any local leaders being consulted.
Implementation Confusion and Backlash
Volunteers have reportedly not been told how to enforce the policy. Applicants for Girlguiding units do not need to provide gender documentation such as a passport or birth certificate. Additionally, UK under-18s are not eligible to obtain Gender Recognition Certificates (GRCs), meaning there is no formal process for confirming a young person’s legal gender status.
“How is that even enforceable?” the unit leader asked. “The main thing everyone is asking is, where are we going to even start?”
Girlguiding has also confirmed it does not have data on how many trans young people are currently involved in its programs.
While the organisation’s updated policy restricts youth membership to cisgender girls, it maintains that adult volunteer roles will remain open to people of all genders, continuing a long-standing practice since Girlguiding’s founding in 1910.
The Brownies leader highlighted the contradiction: “All genders can volunteer, but trans girls — who are just kids — are being excluded from spaces that are supposed to support them.”
‘One Thing After Another’
According to the volunteer, this is the latest in a series of unpopular decisions by the organisation’s board of trustees over recent years.
“There’s been a real divide between the people doing the work and those at the top,” they said. “It’s been negatively affecting a lot of our minority members — it’s been one thing after another, honestly. But this is the worst by far.”
In its public statement, Girlguiding said it remains committed to inclusion and pledged to continue supporting young people from marginalised backgrounds:
“Over the next few months, we will continue to explore the opportunities to champion this value and actively support young people who need us.”
