March 25 2026, 08:15 
Girlguiding, the organization that oversees the U.K.’s version of the Girl Scouts, says transgender women and girls must leave local troops and adult volunteer roles by September 6.
In its March 24 announcement, the organization cited the U.K. Supreme Court’s April 2025 ruling that trans women cannot be legally considered women under the country’s 2010 Equality Act.
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“We must operate lawfully and follow our governing charity documents, which affect how our membership eligibility is defined,” Girlguiding’s top brass said in its announcement. “Although living by our values cannot change our legal responsibilities, it does shape how we treat everyone, how we speak about people, the culture we create, and the future we’re working towards.”
The organization’s leadership said it had set the deadline to give current members and volunteers “time to plan, prepare, access support, and decide when — between now and September — they feel ready to leave,” and directed those affected to support resources.
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“Our intention throughout is to act with kindness, care, and respect,” the statement read.
Trans boys, trans men, and nonbinary people who were assigned female at birth will not be affected by the change, and will still be allowed to join and serve in volunteer roles.
Girlguiding has welcomed trans girls and women since 2018. As The Guardian notes, its position since then has been that “simply being transgender does not make someone more of a safeguarding risk than any other person.”
But last year, a mother sued the organization, challenging its trans-inclusive policy under the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Equality Act.
In December, Girlguiding announced that transgender girls would no longer be allowed to join troops, but left current trans members and volunteers in limbo. While the group indicated at the time that it regretted having to make the decision, it said it was necessary to comply with new guidance from the U.K.’s Equality and Human Rights Commission suggesting the exclusion of trans people from single-gender spaces, and to avoid legal challenges.
“We remain committed to standing up for the rights, safety and dignity of girls and women, and to supporting marginalized communities, including LGBTQ+ people, to improve the lives of girls,” the organization’s leadership said in their Tuesday announcement. “Although our membership approach has changed, our belief in dignity, respect, and inclusion has not. We will continue to work towards a fairer, more equal world for every girl.”
“Inclusive organizations being bullied into excluding people against their will is a profound failure of this government to live up to its promises to the trans community,” Trans+ Solidarity Alliance said in a statement responding to the announcement, according to The Guardian. “This news will be heartbreaking for the children and volunteer leaders that hold Girlguiding together, to fix a problem that doesn’t exist without anti-trans lawfare.”
Guiders Against Trans Exclusion, an unaffiliated organization that campaigns for trans inclusion, posted a video message Tuesday, pre-recorded in anticipation of the decision, noting that it has already begun preparing for different potential outcomes and promising that it would continue to fight with and for trans girls.
“This is going to have a devastating impact, and we are incredibly concerned that Girlguiding are putting people’s welfare at risk like this,” the group said. “We will not back down until all girls and women are allowed back into Girlguiding.”
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