UK Women’s Groups Exclude Transgender Members Following Supreme Court Ruling
After legal redefinition of ‘woman,’ major organisations enforce bans on trans girls and women from membership
The Women's Institute (WI) and Girlguiding announced this week that they will no longer admit transgender girls or women as members — decisions they say are compelled by a recent ruling from the UK Supreme Court which redefined “woman” in law as a person assigned female at birth.
The WI said it will limit formal membership to those recorded female at birth starting April 2026. Girlguiding declared that from now on, new recruits must be biologically female, effectively barring trans girls from joining.
The WI described the decision with “utmost regret and sadness,” noting it had welcomed trans women for over four decades.
Its leadership affirmed that while the legal change left them “no choice,” the organisation still considers transgender women women, and plans to launch “sisterhood groups” intended to remain inclusive.
Meanwhile, Girlguiding said the policy shift follows legal advice and reflects a wider trend among single-sex organisations reassessing membership criteria.
Both groups said existing members who are trans will not be forced out immediately, but new membership and renewals will require confirmation of birth sex.
The moves follow growing legal and institutional redefinitions of gender in the United Kingdom, with the Supreme Court’s April 2025 judgement setting a new legal standard for access to women-only spaces and services.
The decisions have triggered strong reactions.
Trans-rights advocates warn that the exclusions amount to a rollback of inclusion and undermine decades of efforts toward equality.
Some describe the moves as emblematic of a broader, national retreat from acceptance of gender identity — a shift that threatens to chill participation in women’s and girls’ organisations nationwide.
Leaders of the WI and Girlguiding contend their hands were forced by law but affirm their intent to offer alternative inclusive spaces under their “sisterhood” and outreach frameworks.
As the UK adjusts to its new legal definitions, other organisations across sport, education and public services are expected to reassess their policies.
The changes announced by these two high-profile women’s organisations may mark a turning point in the social and legal landscape for transgender inclusion in Britain.
The WI said it will limit formal membership to those recorded female at birth starting April 2026. Girlguiding declared that from now on, new recruits must be biologically female, effectively barring trans girls from joining.
The WI described the decision with “utmost regret and sadness,” noting it had welcomed trans women for over four decades.
Its leadership affirmed that while the legal change left them “no choice,” the organisation still considers transgender women women, and plans to launch “sisterhood groups” intended to remain inclusive.
Meanwhile, Girlguiding said the policy shift follows legal advice and reflects a wider trend among single-sex organisations reassessing membership criteria.
Both groups said existing members who are trans will not be forced out immediately, but new membership and renewals will require confirmation of birth sex.
The moves follow growing legal and institutional redefinitions of gender in the United Kingdom, with the Supreme Court’s April 2025 judgement setting a new legal standard for access to women-only spaces and services.
The decisions have triggered strong reactions.
Trans-rights advocates warn that the exclusions amount to a rollback of inclusion and undermine decades of efforts toward equality.
Some describe the moves as emblematic of a broader, national retreat from acceptance of gender identity — a shift that threatens to chill participation in women’s and girls’ organisations nationwide.
Leaders of the WI and Girlguiding contend their hands were forced by law but affirm their intent to offer alternative inclusive spaces under their “sisterhood” and outreach frameworks.
As the UK adjusts to its new legal definitions, other organisations across sport, education and public services are expected to reassess their policies.
The changes announced by these two high-profile women’s organisations may mark a turning point in the social and legal landscape for transgender inclusion in Britain.
