Forth Valley Rape Crisis Centre

[JackyHolyoake]

Watch this video

www.facebook.com/MyGenderation/videos/601908816953900/

I thought they passed pretty well overall, at least on brief first sight.

But, it reads like Mridul is appropriating a lot of actually traumatic experiences that some immigrant women are more likely to face (forced marriage for example)

"I have the gift of being the eternal minority."

"I have been lucky somehow to find myself in places where I was able to influence. And I think it is therefore important if you have been given this opportunity by fate to use that effectively." ~cough~ male privilege ~cough~

Working with teenagers - 'anyone over 13' - caught my eye...

Having a man, any sort of man, as manager of a women's rape crisis centre, strikes me as so wrong, in all sorts of ways.

I am honestly not saying this to be mean, or impolite, or whatever; and I hope I am not infringing the MN statement on moderation with regards to trans rights. But I am thinking of women's rights, as opposed to men's rights.

It's just that: having a man, any sort of man, as manager of a rape crisis centre, strikes me as so wrong, in all sorts of ways. Because a man is not a woman.

this

I went to a rape crisis centre in England and my counsellor was a trans woman. I was given the options of female, Male or trans counsellors. As there was a 1 year wait for counselling I was encouraged to keep my options open so I agreed to female or trans.

I don't personally believe a person can change sex, so in reality I was counselled by a man. They were a good counsellor, BUT it was so distracting. For my first session, which should have been all about me I was just trying to work out who I was speaking to and was I comfortable with it.

I didn't complain about it because I had agreed that trans was ok, but it did make me wonder why this person was in that position as a counsellor to vulnerable women and how many women in my situation would be anything but ok with it.

I know it's considered transphobic to say that transition is a response to trauma. Given that I don't believe any child is born in the wrong body, I'm just trying to make sense of it. Given the number of prominent trans people, and trans people I have met, who disclose childhood trauma.

Also trying to make sense of just how many trans people are working in this field

Walk, that sounds so confusing...

I don't doubt that transwomen or men can do a good job, but I think what their supporters forget is that trigger responses etc can't be argued away. Mridul claimed their laughter at meeting was a trigger response, yet rape victims are being told they are irrational (or bigots) for being triggered by men. RCS had the awful Stronger Together guidance up until Feb this year when they were finally called out by a rape survivor. I wondered how much input people like MW had into it (good analysis by Murray Blackburn Mackenzie mbmpolicy.wordpress.com/2019/02/22/the-case-for-due-diligence-assessing-and-owning-policy-and-practice/#_edn4).

Alice, it was confusing. Given the choice again I would have said female only. There are certain details of my experience I held back on discussing because they were so biologically female. Afterwards I thought I would have been more open with a woman.

She acknowledges the majority of clients are white, yet her interest is in immigrants and minorities, so seems like the wrong place to be

I found her emphasis on ethnic minorities very strange. Scotland is not an ethnically diverse country- 96% of the population is white. The Forth valley area ( using the NHS area as the definition) does not encompass Glasgow, Edinburgh or Dundee where the % is slightly higher.

Whilst her sari was very elegant it is not something you see very often. Maybe it was worn for the film but I do wonder if presenting in a very obviously different cultural way from the vast majority of people who will attend the centre is not setting up a potential barrier between her and women needing help.

Whilst her sari was very elegant it is not something you see very often. Maybe it was worn for the film but I do wonder if presenting in a very obviously different cultural way from the vast majority of people who will attend the centre is not setting up a potential barrier between her and women needing help.

Indeed. Most women will want peers when they are at their most vulnerable.

So angry about this. Will have to breathe before I type.

Thank you for sharing your experience here Walk

It's really important that women's feedback about the services they receive is heard and taken seriously. This is what policy needs to be shaped around.

I couldn't face watching the video but did read the transcript several times. Mridul may be the expert on their own trauma, experiences and identity but I cannot see how this has anything to do with what natal women need when they seek help at a rape crisis centre.

Walk I think that's so important. However nice or well meaning someone is, there will always be things a woman feels more comfortable sharing with those who will really, properly understand. Obviously not every woman but only a woman.

I'm furious because, from what others have said, RCS are being quite dismissive of women who express concerns - specifically those relating to MW. Women shouldn't have to fight on this one.

She runs the rape crisis centre mentioned and is very clear that she is open about her trans status, to the extent that she says a whole piece about the importance of being visible about it and doing talks about it.

Not disclosing being male in what would have been a specifically female protected position & then later disclosing 'trans' status no doubt which would act as a protective characteristic is pretty shocking.

I think there was coment about this manager's odd responses at a public meeting about women's sex based rights laughing etc?

Interesting to hear someone who has, it seems, breached disclosure obligations for a job working with vulnerable adults say proudly that they have never in their life felt or experienced guilt.

I was given the options of female, Male or trans counsellors

So the requirement is to agree or refuse a 'trans counsellor' who could be of either sex?

The person needing the service has to either reject all people who are 'trans' or be allocated either a male or female counsellor?

For many women who are seeking counselling for sexual abuse the pospect of seeing a middle aged male with AGP is profoundly different to a female whose 'trans identity' is 'non-binary'

I agree with refusetobeasheep. Mridul had no interest in young "cis" white women and wanted to work with minorities. Mridul admitted they had only stayed in the job because they're the only trans in the village, not because the job was particularly fulfilling or Mridul felt Mridul could help these abused and violated young women.
The street shots were all about Mridul tossing their hair.
Why were there no young white women in the film considering they are the main users of the centre? Are they just not special and oppressed enough? Awful.

I'm furious because, from what others have said, RCS are being quite dismissive of women who express concerns - specifically those relating to MW. Women shouldn't have to fight on this one.

It's also strange for a group that offer counseling not to reflect on the concerns women have.

I don't have confidence in the quality of a counseling service that doesn't place women first, but instead talks of hurt feelings and entitlement of an employee.

On a similar note, Jess Phillips tweeted today

In every advert for a job at Women's Aid we said explicitly (citing the relevant sections of the equality act) that you had to be a woman to apply. Every single time without fail at least 2 men applied. Every single time.

I think that some people don't see that this sort of work is for the benefit of others, not the benefit of those wishing to work for these organisations.

In every advert for a job at Women's Aid we said explicitly (citing the relevant sections of the equality act) that you had to be a woman to apply. Every single time without fail at least 2 men applied. Every single time.

There have been and always will be males who will not and do not respect the need for female single sex provisions.

That Women's Aid, knowing this have enabled some males to transgress (despite the provisions of the law to exclude, even in some situations, those males who have a GRC) the boundaries that made women's services single sex is tragic.

"...really understood when people started speaking about the civil war in Syria and the use of snipers. That's the analogy I use. A sniper would hit me every day, multiple times. From name calling to sexual violence, all of that happened, all the time."

Give me a fucking break! This idiot has no idea the level of appropriation they are committing. First appropriation of woman - a class that faces more oppression than any other worldwide since the dawn of time. And now appropriation of war victim experiences... insults/misgendering = sniper hits?!?!? The self-absorption is so evident - how can this person possibly be equipped to support women seeking refuge from DV? The lack of self-awareness is deafening.

And for the record, as a survivor of sexual abuse/violence I would never compare it to sniper hits while experiencing war. The two are not comparable IMO.

Why were there no young white women in the film considering they are the main users of the centre? Are they just not special and oppressed enough?

Apart from the university population at Stirling (which I assume has on campus support) Forth Valley will not be diverse area. Even Glasgow only has 8% BAME population. There will be many parts of Forth valley as near as damn it 100% white. There may very well be a need for specific provision for ethnic minority women but that should be in addition to, not prioritised over the rest of the population.

The crisis centre “caters to white, cis women.”

Interesting verb choice there.

Over a period of time it became more and more important within my work in this movement to be a transwoman.

This part screamed at me. Being a transwoman ought to be irrelevant. The work should be about the women who come into the centre.

I found myself wondering whether this was yet another strategic placement. It is apparent that there has been a huge effort to place trans campaigners in positions where they have the ear of politicians and policy makers.

The stuff about how important it is to stay in position, alongside the demand to be invited to parliament recently (where they made as much fuss as possible) all seems of a piece.

She may be more interested in 'catering' to BAME women, but surely must realise there are some circumstances where it would be culturally very difficult for an abused womam from a South Asian background to receive counselling from someone born male. She herself describes the 'sniper fire' of prejudice she received several times daily in India. Can you imagine how a women's relatives might react if they discovered that the abuse had been discussed with someone they perceived as a man.

No doubt she can work this out, but does not seem to care. Quite the power trip.

I also found the comments about white women offensive. A vulnerable woman needs help. Not the time to start prioritising victimhood. Instead forget whether they are white, refugee, or BAME; sex worker or virgin, middle class or homeless, young or old. Just help them. Thats your job.

She herself describes the 'sniper fire' of prejudice she received several times daily in India.

This referes to the homophobia/sexism directed at an 'effeminate boy' who also attended an all boys school.

She herself describes the 'sniper fire'

The appropriation of the experience of people who have been shot at whilst under seige for so long in Syria was crass.