Two of the United Kingdom’s largest women and girls’ organizations, Girlguiding and the Women’s Institute, announced they will no longer accept transgender girls and women as members, citing legal risks after a landmark Supreme Court ruling. The April decision interpreted the Equality Act 2010 to define “woman” strictly as a biological female, prompting both groups to say they faced potential lawsuits if they continued admitting trans members.
Trans rights advocates warn the ruling is already fueling broader exclusion. Helen Belcher of TransActual said the decisions reflect a “wholesale attempt to remove trans people from public life,” arguing that equality laws are now being used as tools of discrimination. Critics of the ruling fear it will restrict access to women-only services and community spaces, intensifying fear among trans people that their rights and safety are eroding. Girlguiding and the Women’s Institute stress they were forced into the change, while other organizations, such as the Scouts, continue to operate with fully mixed-gender membership.
Compiled From: Michael D. Shear, “Two U.K. women’s groups ban transgender girls and women”, The New York Times, Dec. 3, 2025.