UK Girl Guides leaders accused of ‘wokery’ after issuing trans-inclusive language guide, says DUP's former Stormont Education Minister

Lord Peter Weir of Ballyholme was speaking after the Girl Guides published new language guidance telling leaders to say 'parents and carers' instead of mother and father.

The new 60-page language guide advises leaders on "how to be as inclusive as possible when communicating".

The organisation says it is a "girl-only space for all girls and young women" but also says it is "to be a trans-inclusive organisation and welcome trans girls and non-binary young people".

The guide added: "We know the term 'girl' may not cover these young people – and language is of course always evolving."

If a leader is unsure about what pronoun they should be using when referring to a particular individual, they are advised to ask the person or use "they" as a singular pronoun.

Leaders have also been told to avoid "age descriptors" such as "young, old or elderly" because these may "reinforce negative stereotypes," the Daily Mail reported.

Former Stormont Education Minister Lord Peter Weir told the News Letter he trusted NI leaders in the organisation to use their common sense.

“Youth organisations, particularly uniformed youth organisations, provide an invaluable service for our young people in Northern Ireland and we should be very grateful for the role that they play, with fantastic leadership at local and regional level,” he said.

"Sadly, as this shows sometimes national leadership in the UK gets so caught up in political correctness and wokery that it loses all sense of the real world.

"I trust in the common sense of our local leaders to use sensitivity where needed in particular family circumstances, but we should never shy away from using terms like mum and dad, rather we should, celebrate the vital role family plays in our society.”

A spokeswoman for the Girl Guides declined to say whether the changes would apply to Northern Ireland.

She said: “Our refreshed logo, colours and tone of voice have been designed with inclusion and accessibility in mind, to ensure everyone feels welcome in Girlguiding. We're enthusiastic about the future and are confident that our efforts will help us reach even more girls and provide them with the incredible experiences that we have to offer.

"We’re proud of our exciting programme, the unforgettable adventures we have, and our brilliant volunteers who make it all possible. Changing our look and feel doesn’t change the core of who we are – but it does keep us current and helps makes us attractive to as many people as possible.”

Earlier this month former DUP leader Arlene Foster expressed “sadness” that the Guides was to omit references to God in campfire songs enjoyed by generations of girls.

In a now-deleted blog post, Girl Guides said: “Making accommodations, no longer singing racist and colonialist songs, or changing traditionally faith-based songs to be non-religious isn’t about taking away traditions of Girlguiding. Instead, making changes to the songs we sing is about making every girl in a unit feel welcome.”

But Ms Foster decried the changes. "As someone who cherishes the memories of time spent in Brownies, this makes me very sad," she said.