Need to just get this out

[AvonCallingBarksdale]

I was at a work event today with lots of other third sector organisations. I got talking to two women from a nearby support centre for sexual assault and abuse. I mentioned that I used to work at a neighbouring rape crisis centre. I commented that their leaflet says they support women and those identifying as female over the age of 16. Apparently they were “inundated” by requests for support from people identifying as female, so changed their literature to reflect this. Inundated, really?? It takes years for many women to come forward and speak. It’s a constant struggle for funding to keep rape crisis centres open. And yet here we are, responding quickly to those who identify as female. Not sure what I’m hoping for from this post, but I’ve come away feeling really bewildered/frustrated and, yes, depressed.

I used to work in a rape crisis centre a while ago I know services for men have to put extra safeguards in place because of the wank calls they get. This was an issue for us with men pretending to be supporting women who were raped. It can mean restricting support provided over the phone as you just don't know what's going on. I don't know whether it's still the same, I can't imagine it's changed much.

I work for a public organisation, dealing with vulnerable people.
Not long ago I dealt with somebody who was unable to converse in English but had a written statement saying he was at risk of domestic violence, had been suffering emotional abuse and needed emergency accommodation. It also said he identified as being a female. This man was not even dressed up in women's clothes or anything that you might expect at the very least. The ID he had on him was for a male. I doubted he even had idea what the statement said tbh. As it certainly hasn't been written by himself. The case got passed to a senior colleague and he got referred to a domestic abuse refuge / charity for WOMEN. Whether they let him in at the door I don't know, but he was certainly trying to get in - as whoever had been advising him knew this would be the easiest way of immediate accommodation.

The case got passed to a senior colleague and he got referred to a domestic abuse refuge / charity for WOMEN. Whether they let him in at the door I don't know,

I can hardly believe my eyes. A senior manager thought that s/he could refer a man to a domestic violence refuge on the basis of self i/d, and on the basis of unverifiable information in a letter.

This case demonstrates that the proposed reforms to the GRA have already happened, without any changes to the law, because of regulatory and policy capture. The Equality Act is being ignored, left, right and centre.

The words "it will never happen" are a lie from the mouths of ministers.