Sadiq Khan has sacked Joan Smith from the London VAWG board

[countrypunk]

Activist 'sacked after raising concerns about transwomen in refuges'
mol.im/a/9906833

Also in the Times. I'm disgusted. It's such cynical game-playing from Khan, all to appease a tiny minority of TRAs. There's no way he actually believes this stuff.

I'm going to write to him. Joan Smith is a feminist rock star.

@RoyalCorgi

At some point the bandwagon jumping needs to stop. Parroting TWAW, pretending that gender identity is the same as biological sex, and ignoring the issue of sex-based rights is not fulfilling his role as Mayor.

Khan seems to me to be immensely cynical. He must know, as a Muslim, that attacking sex-based rights disproportionately disadvantages Muslim women because single-sex spaces are so vital for them. Imagine no longer being able to use changing rooms or sports facilities because there might be male-bodied people in there.

But Khan assumes, I would guess, that Muslims will vote for him regardless, so he will do what he can to get the young Metropolitan vote.

We had the same issue here in Scotland where our so called one time failed justice minister has said it’s fine for women share their spaces , like women’s refuges, with trans women, giving no thought what so ever to Muslim women or Jewish women! He is a Muslim himself! The SNP gave him a new job as health minister so he can fuck that up too!

Joan Smith? THE Joan Smith?

What a world we are living in...

London VAWG support very bad. Outsider non victim maybe you look at websites of a London domestic abuse organisation. On surface looks like it offers lots of help and support. Not just the basics of advocacy. Extras like specialist counselling too. Wish was real and not fake false promise website. You can't even get advocacy the basics. Without an advocate willing to fight for you, you no chance of safe place to so no way of permanently leaving. They list the boroughs they apparently help. Reality is when you call desperate for help, they say their website isn't updated and waiting list for help closed. Truth is don't trust what they say. Maybe they pick and choose who they decide to help cos person who answers phone goes away to ask manager if they can take you on. Happened more then once. If lists full they'd know without needing to speak to manager. If they really are full, they been mostly full for at least two years so fake and London VAWG just pretending to help victims at risk. Another time I called was told something different. Was told couldn't be helped cos no physical violence in past few months. Also not allowed a sexual violence advocate cos though been raped and and other abuse that was sexual apparently not eligible cos my main issue is domestic violence. So left with no help. London victim support 2 month waiting list. Maybe ok for other types of crime or historical but not ok when you in domestic violence risk and could be killed and the mental health and damage of having to live with that risk. London very bad place to need help.

I saw a post on Twitter that this is impacting on Joan's mental health but the positive messages help.

I hope she's OK. It must be so hard to stand at the front of what is effectively a furnace of hate and take the TRA flames full on.

I think more people are seeing and more understanding though, I'm hoping the furnace impodes.

Sorry don't want to be derail. Just need to confirm that the National Domestic Abuse Helpline really good and kind.

Problem is they have to refer you to local organisations unless for refuge search. London VAWG don't think does enough to help. Victim Support in London 2 month wait for help. No good if more urgent stuff you need support with. Other London wide services is two split between the boroughs. The one for my borough on website they offer advocacy but they turned me away more than once. They say waiting lists closed. Been closed long time or only open short time before closing again.

Officially London offers VAWG support but reality is not good. Long wait or closed waiting list for support when women going through serious violence and abuse is dangerous. Please am not saying they bad people. Just wish was more support cos is badly needed. Also wish was more honesty cos will never be better support if people think support already good enough. Also false hope dangerous for women in vulnerable situations.

Sorry. I bad for derailing. Saw thread after just this week being turned away for help. Maybe it's cos funding problems don't know but it's so frightening being without advocate when you so frightened and vulnerable and up against places like councils breaking law.

Please definitely don't want to say they bad people working there. Suspicious cos the website says open for support and she only told me lists closed in my borough after speaking her manager. Maybe I'm too not trusting but when feeling more paranoid about trust, maybe their lists are open but they don't like me for some reason. Lied cos didn't want to help me. Know probably me being over sensitive cos of the stress and fear. Probably just they need more funding and staff and training. It's hard to trust anyone now. Sorry again for derail.

She's right about the need for the police to identify sexual predators in its ranks.

and why they get off even when caught, like this Police PR chief John William Green, 42, spared jail for possessing indecent pictures of children
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9922867/Police-PR-chief-42-attacked-outside-court-avoiding-jail-possessing-child-abuse-images.html