It’s been amazing to see what everyone has been up to and we’re so proud of our community and the impact we are having already.
This week our focus is on being heard, getting through to decision makers, collecting testimonies, making it clear to Girlguiding that members do not agree with the policy and sharing our message with the wider public. We are also highlighting the fact that inaction is as bad as negative action - silence in the face of oppression is to side with the oppressor.
This includes some exciting things that have been going on behind the scenes. GATE are working with various other trans organisations and movements and the lead team are so excited to share more about this publicly. It is also a great way to show the people who respond with “it’s the law, Girlguiding had to do it” that our campaign is having a real impact and remind them that when the law is wrong we must take action, just as Girlguiding has taught us.
First of all, we are one of more than 145 feminist or LGBTQ+ groups to sign Trans+ Solidarity Alliance’s open letter to MPs that was published on Saturday. This calls for MPs to write to the Prime Minister and the Minister for Women and Equalities to ask:
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That they work to ensure our equalities law and guidance protects the norm of trans-inclusion. This is how the Equality Act has always worked, and it must be defended.
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That they commit to ensuring that all UK legislation protects the human rights of trans and gender non conforming people.
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That they act to protect everyone’s freedom of association, making sure that the many women’s and men’s groups who wish to remain inclusive are not forced to exclude.
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That they ensure that any equalities guidance is workable in its implementation, and protects organisations from expensive anti-trans lawfare
We hope that this will encourage Parliament into implementing trans inclusive guidance as soon as possible.
Our work with Trans+ Solidarity Alliance also brought us to speak on a panel briefing for MPs in Parliament this week. Two of our team attended this event and we were proud to be asked to speak on this panel regarding both the fact that this was a reluctant decision made against Girlguiding’s values, and to show the real impact this is having on people’s lives. Other members of the panel represented Trans+ Solidarity Alliance, Third Sector Against Transphobia, and Watershed. This was attended by 5 or 6 supportive MPs, as well as other Parliamentary staff and people from other organisations such as the Good Law Project, TransActual and Labour for Trans Rights. We gave out lots of GATE pins!
We discussed the real impact this is having on the people involved in Girlguiding, and told MPs we need the government to step up and protect charities. We also read an excerpt from this testimony, making multiple people cry (trigger warning for self harm involving a child).
All of you are helping us be heard at this top level, and we remind you all to please write to your MPs. You can find our letter templates here. You can also quote the open letter mentioned above, the fact the Charity Commission have said that they support organisations who are not making change until there is full government guidance, and the Good Law Project’s concerns about the lawfulness of both the decision and of its potential implementation. Only 10% of you said you have written to your MP, so take action today!
You should send follow up emails to any representatives who haven't responded, and make sure to share responses with us so we can keep a full record!
It is also super important to write to MLAs, MSPs and MSSs as each of the devolved nations have different laws and there is precedence for the different countries to operate under different policies within Girlguiding. Scotland and Northern Ireland also have their own charity commissions. We have been told by Girlguiding that they would be open to having different policies in different countries within the UK as long as governing bodies (either local governments or charity commissions) have made official rulings/guidelines for this. This includes the Channel Islands.
We know that Paula Bradshaw MLA is waiting to meet with the Equality Commissioner for Northern Ireland on this issue, which is especially important given the Equality Act 2010 does not apply there. We are also connecting with influential people in Scotland too, and look forward to seeing where that goes.
We can and will make change, so make sure to add your voice!
Finally, we have met with a science communicator who is preparing a lecture on the scientific truth behind these ignorant rulings; biology is not simple and cannot be forced into a binary. There is no such thing as a biological male or female and any attempts to define these terms will result in excluding cis women, often influenced by racism and ableism. There are also over 1.3 million intersex people in the UK - this means that their biology varies from the expectations for male and female.
The full science and legal issues will be covered by the lecture, but we need to hear your voices first. While we already had an existing form for collecting testimonies, we will be releasing a new one next week especially for this project in order to obtain the correct consent. The responses will be sent to the researcher to use publicly as part of the lecture, or the promotion and campaign surrounding it. It is important to hear from real people how this current political climate and decisions like Girlguiding’s policy change are affecting them.
We encourage everyone in our community and beyond to keep working to Be Heard, and there are so many more ways to do this. Check out the Be Heard page for the full list of challenges, including:
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Share reasons why trans girls belong
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Write to the Charity Commission (England and Wales), OSCR (Scotland) or the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland urging them to provide trans inclusive guidance
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Record a video saying "I'm keeping my promise by supporting trans members, are you?" (portrait) and/or “trans girls belong in Girlguiding” (landscape)
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Send us your hopes for the future
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Subscribe to our YouTube channel - check out the latest episode on lawfare!
Let us know how you are making your voice Be Heard and join us for our third day of action on social media today!
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