Help us support Girlguiding and the Women’s Institute to remain inclusive

Girlguiding and the Women’s Institute say that they have been left with no choice but to exclude trans people, even though they don’t want to. This is outrageous – and we want to defend them.

Both organisations have done so much amazing work for women and girls – including those who are trans. They are leaders in the sector. But this brilliant work is being threatened by transphobic campaigners who want to force exclusion. So we’re offering to support them, and make sure that they can remain trans inclusive.

But for that, we need your help.

In December, it was announced by the Women’s Institute and Girlguiding that they would have to end their longstanding policies of trans inclusion. Both blamed the change on the Supreme Court ruling on the meaning of the word “sex” in the Equality Act 2010, and pointed to pressure coming from outside the organisations – including legal threats.

This decision has wreaked havoc upon the charities. Numerous Women’s Institute groups have decided to close, rather than be forced to exclude their trans members. Meanwhile Girlguiding have faced protests, and seen the setting up of Guiders Against Trans Exclusion. 

We think that the law allows organisations to still remain inclusive, if they want to be. And we’ve got independent legal advice telling us the same thing. The Charity Commission has also said that charities do not need to rush into exclusion, and that they should await statutory guidance.

But we know that just the threat of legal action is incredibly expensive for organisations – no matter what the law actually says. So to make sure that the Women’s Institute and Girlguiding can remain inclusive, we’re offering to defend them, and to cover all their costs.

We need you to tell them that they should remain inclusive, and that Good Law Project are offering to support them. You can email them here.