Girl Guides insist they would support transgender boys amid backlash to trans inclusion policy
The scouting organisation has dismissed reports they would ban and remove existing members who come out as transgender.
By Steve Brown
The Girl Guides have insisted they would not ban oor kick out members of the organisation who came out as a transgender male, amidst and ongoing transphobic backash to their new inclusion policy.
The scouting organisation has been forced to defend itself this week after two guide leaders were expelled form the organisation for opposing a policy introduced last year which states that transgender females are able to join.
As the criticism escalated, a follow-up story was published in the The Times on Wednesday (27 September) claiming that Girl Guides will ban and remove transgender boys under the terms of the same policy.
The Girl Guides have now issued a statement clarifiying that they would support any existing member who came out as transgender, and help them to move on at a “time that is right”.
Sharing a statement on Twitter, Girl Guides wrote: “We’d like to correct the misinformation in the press this morning about our Equality and Diversity policy.
We’d like to correct the misinformation in the press this morning about our Equality and Diversity policy. We do not and will not ‘ban’ or withdraw membership from a trans boy who had become a member whilst identifying as a girl. pic.twitter.com/iXdJqYCG3x
— Girlguiding (@Girlguiding) September 27, 2018
“We do not and will not ‘ban’ or withdraw membership from a trans boy who had become a member whilst identifying as a girl.”
The accompanying notice clarified that the group’s policy was “to support young members who identify as boys to move on from guiding if and when they choose to and at a pace that suits the young person.”
“We understand that if a young member is transition from female to male that they will be experiencing a great amount of change and uncertainty,” the statement read.
“Guiding will be an important support network for them and we would want to ensure that the process of elaving – should they wish to leave – is done through conversation wwith the young person and planning what is most appropriate for them.”