Two more Women’s Institute branches vote to close over trans ban
Women’s Institute groups are closing after the trans ban (Getty Images)
Two Bristol branches of the Women’s Institute have voted to close after the National Federation announced it would ban trans women from joining.
Longwell Green and Westbury-on-Trym’s disbanding come in solidarity with the trans community.
Westbury-on-Trym WI committee member Frances Riley told Bristol 247 that Women’s Institute members were asked to sign a form confirming that they were born female. She also shared that they would be forced to resign if they didn’t comply.
“The whole committee of eight decided this was a decision we weren’t prepared to go along with,” Riley said.
Following the committee vote, three quarters of the branch’s members voted to suspend Westbury-on-Trym WI. A full closure will ensue after three years of inactivity.
“It was done out of conscience and conviction but was not something a few months ago we thought we would ever have to do – or even want to do,” Riley continued.
When did the Women’s Institute introduce a trans ban?
In December last year, the Women’s Institute announced that trans women would no longer be allowed to hold WI membership from April 2026.
The controversial move came in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling that the legal definition of a woman referred to “biological sex” only.
“To be able to continue operating as the Women’s Institute – a legally recognised women’s organisation and charity – we must act in accordance with the Supreme Court’s judgment and restrict formal membership to biological women only,” said CEO Melissa Green at the time.
The organisation said it is still committed to its “firm belief” that trans women are women despite the move.
“The National Federation was very sad to do this because there had been transgender members of the WI for 40 years,” Riley told Bristol 247.
“But it wasn’t a democratic decision. It was suddenly foisted upon us. We don’t hate the WI. It’s more in sadness than in anger [that] this has happened but it’s something that’s important to its members.”
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