Men can join the Girl Guides as leaders for the first time in its 107-year history—if they feel they have been born in the “wrong” body.
New regulations say it would be unlawful to tell parents if their daughter is being looked after by a man identifying as a woman on overnight excursions.
The new Equality and Diversity Policy, which was sent to all leaders last week, has been slammed by parents and Members of Parliament.
‘Shocking’
Philip Hollobone, MP, said: “Sadly, the result will be fewer girls joining the Girl Guides. There will be parents who won’t let their daughters join because of this change.”
Amanda Gracey, whose daughter recently joined Rainbows—a Girlguiding group for girls aged from 5 to 7—was horrified.
She said: “It’s shocking that if there is a man who believes he is a woman leading the group, it is forbidden that parents should be informed, even on residential trips.”
Residential trips
In 2015, Girlguiding UK published gender guidelines which allowed boys between the ages of 5 and 14 to join as members.
It stated: “If any young person identifies as female, then they are able to join”.
It also advised that it was not “best practice” to tell parents if their daughter will share toilets or sleeping areas with boys who believe they are girls.
Commenting on the 2015 guidelines, Gracey added: “Every piece of safeguarding advice says you should provide separate sleeping and changing facilities for children of opposite sexes under the age of 18.” {eoa}
This article originally appeared on The Christian Institute.
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