New CEO of Edinburgh Rape Crisis

The thread about this on AIBU filled up quickly, with 87% shocked appalled and opposed. I really don’t understand the 13% who wish to remove women’s resources in favour of everyone else. Is there exporting to the Charities Commission the best move now.? I have no faith that the politicians will intervene .What else are Scottish Women able to do? The final straw is seeing that in fact there are no woman only sessions.

Who’d want to be a woman, eh?

This is a bad time in Scotland for women’s rights**

This is a time for women’s rights in Scotland. I think I’m going to start emailing anyone that may listen in our government to beg/plead that this doesn’t happen in England.

These people all meet at the same committees, have done for years. All funded by ScotGov. It's all on record. They then lobby ScotGov.

There's sort of a weird loop here with the Sturgeon vs Salmond thing.

The SNP have been using their pet rape charities as a sort of government mouthpiece to denounce Salmond, his acquittal, etc.

It's possible the focus on rape charities was strategic as an anti-Salmond thing, and now I guess it extends into being an anti-women thing.

They need to co-opt any vaguely women-related groups so they can get them to support all the SNP's GRA or "can't request female examiner" type laws.

Have just seen this via a supportive tweet for ERCC. Am more horrified than the appointment of a self identifying trans women as CEO:

Women only spaces

We offer women only spaces (which are inclusive of trans women) in our centre on Tuesdays 4pm – 7pm, Wednesdays 12.30pm – 4pm and Fridays 9am – 12.30pm. The rest of the week we offer appointments to people of all genders.

www.ercc.scot/who-we-support-and-our-services/

Rape Crisis centres who did this should have a clear banner on their web site / facebook page / twitter account that they do NOT have a safe space for women.

What is worse is not the trans individual trying to push boundaries, but all the women who are enabling and supporting this.

And they believe they are right.

These people all meet at the same committees, have done for years. All funded by ScotGov. It's all on record. They then lobby ScotGov.

Only lobby groups appoved by ScotGov get to be funded by ScotGov so that they then can lobby ScotGov. ScotGov don't meet with the non approved groups.

Women's prisons were 'strategised' as the first to target by the Scottish Trans Alliance. On official record.

Women's rape centres now look like the focus.

What next, do you think?

Thing is that while what they have done is not legal for at least 2 reasons

It would need a court case and presumably one brought by someone with reason to do so (not sure on the second point though).

Court cases cost a lot of money, take a lot of time and are stressful etc.

So the fact it's illegal only matters if someone is in a position to challenge it.

I've seen people argue that the 'female' includes transwomen before - although I think since the EHRC came out in support of Maya Forstater recently that will be a very difficult point to argue. And the EA exemptions seem incredibly clear to me.

Holding on for Ann Sinnott tomorrow ...

Aww Perpetual. What a lovely poem. She's lucky to have you.

perpetual 🌻

Perpetual, that's a lovely and heartfelt poem.

Mothers teach their daughters, always have done. They'll be strong, just like we are.

Mridhul is concerned with advancing trans rights. That is their focus.

That is not what the CEO of a rape crisis centre shoudl be about. The focus in a RCC should be on supporting survivors, not making political points.

I think this appt was deliberate.

They knew what response it woudl attract. I wonder if they are even hoping it will be challenged.

I think it's an attempt to cut the EA off at the knees.

Mridhul Wadhwa also sits on Jolyon Maugham's Good Law Project, 'Advisory Group to the Legal Defence Fund for Transgender Lives'.
This group is intervening in the Bell vs Tavistock NHS appeal having also taken a case, the GLP describe:
"If a child cannot consent to taking puberty blockers their loving parent can consent in their stead. That is the outcome of the decision of the High Court, earlier this morning, in the case of AB v Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust (full decision below), the first case funded by Good Law Project’s Trans Defence Fund."

This is key information.

Perpetual

I have written to the EIJB - they have a 'send us a comment we'd love to hear from you' box on their trustees page. I will write to my SNP candidate in tomorrow's election next. We must all write to as many people in positions of influence as possible - even just the briefest of notes to say that we are appalled is better than nothing.

Thank all so much it means the world.

I'd like to share the poem I wrote after I sent the uni the gdpr request, it was cathartic for me to write.

The day I dread the most

My dearest darling daughter, with wonder in your eyes
I dread to tell you of the wolves, lurking in disguise.

For now your life is simple, you are a joy to behold,
But I will have to tell you all the things I wish that I was told.

That life can change completely, that happiness can end,
That the one that you should beware is the big brother type of friend.

For when trust is given freely, the consequences we can't ignore,
I didn't know that he would be the first to take advantage, to shake my beliefs to the core.

Because I believed naively, in a bond that wasn't true,
In a world of pain and sorrow, his ideas were fresh and new.

I put him on a pedestal, captivated by intelligent conversation,
I never had a warning that his actions could cause this kind of desolation.

When I reached out for help I was sadly turned away
The blame put on my shoulders, it should never have been that way.

The hatred all consuming, the bitterness it grew,
Until I couldn't trust anyone or believe the things that I once knew.

This complete betrayal was not part of my plan,
Something that would never happen, had I been born a man.

Why did my girlfriends leave me, when I passed out that night?
Why did no one question that something wasn't right?

The answer is we trusted him, this big brother type.
Charming, funny, older, wiser, we all believed his hype.

That he wasn't like other men, the ones who pose a danger.
This was someone I loved, like a brother, not a total stranger.

For now you are too young to know how cruel the world can be.
But it is my life's mission to protect you from the things that happened to me.

One day I'll have to warn you of the wolves, lurking in disguise.
But for now my darling daughter there is only wonder in your eyes.

(And now I'm off to work before I cry!)

Ps I see a wolf here 🐺

Perpetualnamechanger

I hope you can find some kind of closure and peace. These things can take a long time to recover from.

Rape Crisis services were built from nothing by women, for women - and often the women who built them were themselves really struggling, but scraped together time and energy and money to help other women. And now what those women built has been stolen.

Yes. It’s heartbreaking. And we are justifiably really, really angry about it.

Perpetual, so completely unacceptable for him to treat you that way, and relatively recently too. I thought there was supposed to have been more awareness by then. Shocking that a man in his position should have been so ignorant and bigoted.

Thank you everyone, I am doing a lot better.

It's something that seems to crop back up, when I least expect it.

For example, when I was working in a coffee shop years ago, his friend came in and harassed me about it.

It took me a while to say anything to even my closest friends, so although I avoided places where he would be, we would sometimes cross paths, I would leave immediately. One night before anyone knew, he was invited by a flatmate to our house. I was sleeping and I woke up to him standing over me. So wish I had the support when I first asked for it. I wish I'd had the strength to stand up for myself.

Credit to my friends they did support me when they found out and at least I didn't have to see him anymore but it was this huge shameful secret no one spoke of.

Another time he sent me a Facebook message ( I still have it), he saw me leaving the dr crying, I was having strange periods at the time, bleeding every day, for about a year after, now I think it was stress related or some kind of strange body response to trauma.

But by far the worst thing was when I was pregnant, I kept having this recurring dream, so lucid as pregnancy dreams are, where he would pop up and it would be like a bolt of electricity would strike me and I'd that wake up screaming.

I now have a beautiful daughter and it breaks my heart to think these things could happen to her, but I will do anything to protect her.

Perpetual

I hope you are now being listened to, and getting the support you need.

As for Edinburgh, I can't stop thinking of all the women who now have nowhere to go when they are in crisis. This appointment has taken that away from them.

Rape Crisis services were built from nothing by women, for women - and often the women who built them were themselves really struggling, but scraped together time and energy and money to help other women. And now what those women built has been stolen.

@R0wantrees and @Sophoclesthefox Thank you always xxx