Girl Guide leaders booted out and groups closed down after transgender toilet row
The leaders insist they had legitimate safeguarding concerns but were expelled by the Guides for breaking equality and diversity rules
TWO guide leaders who opposed a new policy on transgender girls due to safety concerns were expelled and their units closed down.
The policy says that leaders are not allowed to tell girls or their parents if a girl or leader in their unit used to identify as male.
But some Guides leaders openly questioned the policy, which was brought in last year, by signing a letter asking for a review of the new transgender rules.
They believed that parents have a right to know if their daughter is sharing bathrooms and bedrooms with someone who has "the physical body of a boy".
Helen Watts, who runs a Rainbows unit in Ealing, London for girls aged five to seven, was one of the letter's signatories.
On Friday she was told that her membership in the Guides was being terminated after more than 15 years in the organisation.
She told : "I am very upset and I am also really angry.
"We had some serious concerns about a policy that ignored basic safeguarding principles."
Helen was told that she was being removed because she was unwilling to follow Girlguiding's equality and diversity policy.
She was also accused of calling a fellow volunteer a "nightmare" in a social media group.
Another expelled leader said she was informed her dismissal was because she was not following "procedures".
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Girlguiding also accused the second removed leader of being disrespectful on social media but had not provided any examples of such behaviour.
The leaders who lost their jobs now say that they will pursue legal action against Girlguiding if their expulsions are upheld.
Girlguiding said: “Two individuals were found to have breached our volunteer code of conduct and social media policy and sanctions have been applied accordingly."
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