Trans girls have until 6th September to leave the girlguides UK.
Let me rephrase that.
Girlidguides UK are about to lose a shit ton of members.
To the parents of heartbroken girls... join the scouts, support your local Scouting groups, inclusivity for the win.
To be fair on Girlidguides UK, they have to follow the law, so the blame / anger should be directed at the supreme court in the UK who made the decision.
@UkeleleEric @zleap @Silversnapples It seems to me that the Equality Act 2010 gives them two options: not to discriminate about membership, or with justification, claim an exception under the Act, which the Supreme Court ruling would seem to mean requires them to apply the “biological sex” criterion.
There are two things wrong here: firstly I would argue it’s wrong to put the Guides in the position of having to make that choice. It’s clear to me that this demonstrates that it’s bad law, and I remain baffled that the immediate response by politicians wasn’t that they had to change it ASAP.
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@UkeleleEric @zleap @Silversnapples The other thing is that it’s very disappointing that given that choice, the Guides are going the way they are: choosing to protect people with one characteristic at the cost of an even more embattled group. They could have chosen to cease applying the exception but with the stated intention of reapplying it as soon as the law was changed to allow them to make selections in a manner more appropriate to their type of organisation. (I mean, what “boys” are actually going to be interested in joining the Guides anyway other than trans girls and non-binary kids, and what risk are they really to the other girls?)
In other words, put the ball firmly back in the politicians’ court. It’s their mess.
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@benavison @UkeleleEric @zleap sadly theres a very much, girls only - but only girls like us.
Its like every horrific parents association populated by a certain type of women who only like and include women like them.
As my daughter pointed out of the time she attended an international jamboree, US boy scouts were envious thst the UK scouts was for all. In the same vein there was a lot of critique on the then mores and goals of achievements for girls in guiding activities. It felt for my daughter like it was for, in her terms 'girly girls' and performative. I hope thats changed, but I hope that in time they realise what level of exclusion they have encouraged by refusing to evolve for the age in which we now live.
@Silversnapples @benavison @UkeleleEric
I am sure 99 percent of activities guides do involve hands and or feet, so there is no reason not to be inclusive.
All this is getting caught up in the campaign to end violence against women and girls, they want to make spaces only for women, e,g changing rooms. In some cases I think with that you end up with, as you say only certain types of women allowed in due to the toxic culture, so it is just counter productive from a safety viewpoint, in fact if you get bulled out, this compromises your safety, not that the bullies see it that way, they will say they are being bullied if someone questions them.
I have no idea on the actual crime stats, but if a man wanted to enter the women's changing rooms or other space and attack someone, that is going to happen (and vice versa), having a trans women in that space is to me no more risky.
You're right, it is getting to the point where spaces are toxic and don't want to include others regardless.
Silversnapples
Paul Sutton (zleap)
UkeleleEric
Ben Avison