Girl Guides set new guidelines to welcome transgender kids

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VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The Girl Guides of Canada are making some big changes. Transgender children wanting to take part in Girl Guide programs across the country are officially welcome to join in.

Girl Guides of Canada says it’s developed a set of guidelines designed to respect and accommodate all children identifying as girls.

Chief Commissioner Pamela Rice says the document will help leaders respect the wishes of anyone identifying as transgender and answer questions from those who don’t.

She says no matter how a child is born, a girl is a girl.

“What we’re saying is that if the child identifies as a girl, regardless of their biological sex assignment, we will treat her and welcome her to the organization.”

“It’s a question of navigating and understanding what the child’s level of comfort is and then finding a way to make that child comfortable. Whatever it seems is best for them because of course they themselves are going through a huge transition that is challenging at the very least,” explains Rice on the guiding principles.

The policies cover a variety of topics from washroom use to privacy during camping trips, and apply across the entire 5 to 18 age range the organization serves.

Diamond Isinger with Girl Guides of Canada says the updates are especially important for Metro Vancouver.

“We feel really strongly that they need a tool like this so that even our volunteers who may not be as familiar with transgender girls are more than equipped and happy and confident in welcoming those girls…This (set of guidelines) is a really important resource for our volunteers to have access to.”

Morgane Oger with the Trans Alliance Society calls it wonderful news.

“They are affirming that they think that trans-girls are girls because they self-identify as girls and that that is all that matters and also it’s important because this is a question, and there are people who will question this. This tells parents of trans children, of trans-girls specifically for Girl Guides, they don’t have to worry about whether or not their child is going to be welcome in a Guide Group at all the levels because they can rest assured that it’s a policy.”

The guidelines also state that the same respect should be extended to any transgender people who choose to become Girl Guide leaders.

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