"The whole committee of eight decided this was a decision we weren't prepared to go along with. 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."
"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."
"The National Federation was very sad to do this because there had been transgender members of the WI for 40 years. But it wasn't a democratic decision. It was suddenly foisted upon us."
Two branches of the Women's Institute in Bristol, Longwell Green and Westbury-on-Trym, have voted to disband in solidarity with the trans community following a ban on trans women joining. Members were required to confirm they were born female, with non-compliance leading to resignation. The decision to close was made by the committee out of conscience, despite the unexpected nature of the situation. The Women's Institute announced the ban in December, citing a Supreme Court ruling that defined womanhood based on biological sex.
Read at PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news
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