Backlash against female only rape crisis groups

Excellent piece. Thank you Sarah, you are fighting for all of us and I cannot believe this is even a question. You have to be a truly vile human being to oppose single sex spaces for women rape victims.

<3 thanks for sharing it's a great article

The response you have received for asking for just one single sex group, among the myriad of mixed sex groups available, has been both shocking and appalling. There is no answer from those shrieking 'what about trans people' when it's pointed out that you haven't asked at any point for these groups to be stopped or why they believe that all these other groups can exist but not one single sex one. They simply ignore it.

Your bravery under extreme hostility and unpleasantness has been deeply impressive. Thank you for fighting this fight.

As a fellow rape survivor, I want to thank you for taking this stand @IamSarah. I am 100% behind you.

I find myself wondering what proportion of (female) rape survivors feel as we do. I know that in the couple of years after my attack (a particularly ruthless stranger rape) it could take a man to merely stand up quickly for my heart to race. I remember one man jokingly coming into the girls' changing rooms in my boat club and my legs turned to jelly. There's absolutely no way I'd have wanted a male person to be allowed into what I considered to be a safe space. Are there survivors of rape who feel differently I wonder? In some ways it would be nice to know that you (we) are speaking for the majority of (female) rape survivors.

I love reading clearly written articles which are inteligently argued, with relevant examples and links which actually go somewhere when you click on them.

@IamSarah Keep on going. we are all with you in spirit.

@Artichokeleaves "And if 're framing trauma' is the answer and should be expected of those in distress, my answer would be to the TQ+ lobby: you first."

The whole of that post currently has me in absolute tears. Probably because in my head I can hear you saying it with the force and I've had enough of this shit it requires!

And if 're framing trauma' is the answer and should be expected of those in distress, my answer would be to the TQ+ lobby: you first.

Go and use sex based spaces; reframe your trauma around transition and not being able to. Reframe your trauma around misgendering. Reframe your trauma around females saying no and wanting spaces of their own that recognise them as half the bloody human race. You first.

When you prove it's a lovely, happy wonderland that leads to being able to cope easily with what is so distressing - and it's a moral imperative to overcome it - then perhaps females will consider following the example.

Until then? It sounds like coercive bullshit that sets out demands for sacrifice and selfless suffering from females that males have absolutely no intention of ever making themselves. They will simply demand that females do all the servicing of their needs so they don't have to. There's words for that. Very, very old ones.

They're exposing themselves more and more. Which is all to the good.

It's getting hard now to deny the absolute misogyny and inability to see or think about anything but the TQ+ interests. Which makes it so much easier for a court to see that female interests are at times going to be incompatible when a service is politically focused on a TQ+ brief, because they have no remaining ability to see or care about female clients, and see those female voices and needs and realities as nothing more than hostile threats to their own agenda.

Incompatible for service provision. QED.

The Aesop's Fable of dog in the manger gets stronger and stronger: I do not need myself the specific resource that you are dependent on, but will do everything in my power to prevent you having it. Because reasons.

Unreasonable. Odd. Unacceptable. Have odd political views by all means, but they cannot be acceptable as a reason to deny other people equality of service and access.

Thank you for your courage Sarah - absolutely horrendous that you are having to take this to court but I'm so grateful to you for fighting back. This could be a game-changer.

Thank you for fighting on - the stress must be awful. All good wishes to you and I hope you get both the verdict and the support that you deserve.

I'm sorry that you are having to go through this @IamSarah but please remember that you have an army of supporters who have your back we may not be able to physically be there for you but we are here and will be every step of the way 💐

Thanks for everything you are doing to help female rape victims.

Victoria Smith is a excellent writer and she's got it spot on.

That's a powerful piece, Sarah - so glad you have such support and hope it counters the hostility.

I just don’t get the big deal about meeting your needs with one group from which biological males are excluded. It’s almost like they don’t care about rape victims.