Big update on Rape Crisis legal challenge

[IamSarah]

I know many of you have been waiting for an update so first of all thank you for your patience and the many messages of support.

I am suing Survivors Network, the Sussex Rape Crisis service, as it refused to offer a single sex women’s group in addition to the mixed sex women’s groups. By mixed sex I mean inclusive of any males who identify as women.

I’ve been granted anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the case and it was submitted to Brighton County Court today.

I am being represented by law firm Didlaw and my Barrister is Naomi Cunningham (Chair of Sex Matters). So far they have acted pro bono which I am incredibly grateful for as it has taken a lot of time. The team are confident I have a good case but this is unchartered territory for women’s rights.

Many of you have very kindly offered to be involved and help with gardening. I don’t think I’m allowed to share details on here so please go to my Twitter page http://twitter.com/SarahSurviving/ which has all the info in a pinned post.

Of you’re not on Twitter feel free to send me a DM for more information on how you can help the case. Any publicity you can give the crowd funder would really help.

Thank you everyone.

Sarah x

@Waitwhat23 yup you summed it up perfectly. That's generally how it goes.

The recommendation in the report that:

The provision of trans and non-binary specialist support should not be used to exclude trans and non-binary survivors from general services or from whichever single gender services they choose to access

is exactly why there are problems with providing these services. Some people think that they are entitled to absolutely everything. And the report's repeated use of "single gender services" is another red flag.

@Waitwhat23 that is exactly what we are pushing back against here. being out in the boonies helps but we have now had one more determined transwoman demand to be let in. Local opinions sort of swayed towards us being nasty peeps, but our grapevine is swift and very supportive.

We stand by our association with another service that has staff trained in the specific support, social, medical pathways, mental health issues and trauma responses that are unique to transwomen and men. a sentence I have used a lot recently!

Good luck, OP. This is a really important battle you're. Somebody has got to stand up for women's rights. Not on Twitter.

The provision of trans and non-binary specialist support should not be used to exclude trans and non-binary survivors from general services or from whichever single gender services they choose to access

So they can pick and choose while women who need a single sex service get absolutely nothing?

So they can pick and choose while women who need a single sex service get absolutely nothing?

Yes exactly.

All humans are equal but some humans are more equal than others.

The defence is that trans people are so marginalised they need access to absolutely everything.

Although in fact the underlying argument is that meeting the needs of TQ people requires actively privileging them over others, which by necessity requires actively refusing women equality. And thereby excluding women from the women's rape crisis service. Under a false flag of calling this 'inclusive'.

Whether or not you hold beliefs that justify to yourself excluding and disadvantaging some to give to others to affirm them or to create in your mind some kind of equity, the fact stands that this is not inclusion, and under the laws of this country equality of all protected groups is required to be balanced.
The ethics of creating privileged classes and disadvantaged classes who do not have equality of access and resources and whom it is ok to exclude? That isn't something even basically discussed as being rational to do to tax payers in society, never mind standard policy and practice.

Which would make this personal expression of personal religious beliefs run amok. And questionable discrimination. And a service taking taxpayer money from government funding on the grounds of meeting all the needs of their diverse population, but quietly excluding and showing active prejudice against some. And certainly actively fostering division and bad feeling between groups, which is wholly in opposition to the requirements of the EA2010. Which should negate LA funding and require the LA to do a much better job of providing services for all and not the current fashionably interesting groups. That way madness obviously lies.

Another example of mixed-sex services being dangerous for vulnerable women:

A young woman very close to me is epileptic and it is extremely important people are able to see if she has collapsed. This requires a gap at the bottom of the toilet door in public places if I am not around to check on her. Before a seizure she may not have the self awareness to pull a cord. There are hundreds of thousands of women who can have seizures, particularly around their periods. It seems ludicrous mentioning this but in this context it is important to state they can’t identify out of this.

But the gender ideology is leading to a lot of ‘gender-neutral’ toilet doors losing their gaps as (shock, horror) men can’t be trusted with their cameraphones. This is where this ideology is flawed. People acknowledge men can’t be trusted so change the doors but then ignore that changing to mix-sexed toilets makes it more dangerous for disabled vulnerable women. And women having heart attacks/strokes/fainting.

Some humans are indeed more equal than others.

Catching up on the events on the thread earlier this week and I’ve realised it’s such a lovely morning for some gardening and seeing as I haven’t been for a while popped back to plant some more seeds!

Sarah I can only imagine the visceral shock you would feel seeing their name on the guest list and how isolated it could make you feel that you have to remove yourself even though he should be a pariah.

As others have said, it’s not the same as the SN I’m sure but please know so many of us here are supporting you. Sending love and solidarity.

I've just done some Saturday morning gardening. May the force of women's wrath be with you Sarah (sorry, I'm introducing DD to Star Wars).

Thank you so much lovely weekend gardeners, the flowers are blooming

I have just met with a big group of local women, most of us survivors of Survivors Network. I've been blown away with the amount of support for my case. How strongly women feel about this and how badly they've been let down.

I've heard some distressing stories today about how being denied access to female only rape crisis support in Sussex has literally ruined some women's lives.

Thank you again gardeners for helping us all

How terrible that SN have intensified the trauma of women who they should have been helping.

Hello Sarah, I just wanted to add my voice to the chorus of support for you. I think you are incredibly courageous and I find what you're doing very very moving.

I am so very angry with Sussex Rape Crisis and all the other services refusing to provide survivors with what these women have repeatedly told them they need - namely, single sex services. It appals me. What makes it worse is that these organisations try to convince service users that trans women are literally women and therefore entitled to use women-only services, rather than describing the services as mixed sex, which is of course what they are. It's misogynistic gaslighting - from rape crisis services, FFS! - and it must compound the trauma of the abuse. I'm so angry I find it difficult to put into words.

Know that vast numbers of women support you.

Excuse me but I'm place-marking as lost the thread earlier!

Thank you for the support @countrypunk and @FigRollsAlly

If anyone has been following what happened in Brighton over the weekend it's a good example of the culture down here.

Young, middle class women fresh out of uni, thinking they are fighting the good fight by attacking women's sex based rights.

Yelling at babies, glitter bombing black women and holding banners stating 'trans inclusive feminism is hot'. They have no idea what they're giving away.

It's very toxic.

I was following the Brighton thread earlier today but it now seems to have disappeared! Does anyone know what happened to it?

MN had a message saying that newspapers were becoming interested and it was felt that the thread might reveal identities or something.

Anyone want to take bets on how the Guardian will handle this?

Anyone want to take bets on how the Guardian will handle this?

Labour Party staffer shouting foul mouthed abuse at a father & baby? Well, clearly the baby was provocative - just being born by dimorphic sexual reproduction is transphobic.

Thanks FunnyTalks, I wondered if it was something like that.

IRL, I've known a couple of people who were being hunted by the tabloids (one was a Teletubbby!) and their experiences were awful. MNHQ has probably acted wisely in taking down the thread to protect the identity of the IP and her family.

My money is on the Guardian continuing to completely ignore it. Hope I'm wrong, love to see them try to spin it.

Already there are people on Twitter saying it was the Dad’s fault for taking the baby to a rally. I’m sure the Guardian will find a way to run with that.

..... so one should expect trans activists to scream random batshit into the faces of any babies in the vicinity and one is an irresponsible parent for bringing one into a public space near them? Seriously?? That's transphobic as all hell! That is your actual proper transphobia!

I have no seeds left for the garden sadly but am so glad you have support and only sorry that you needed it in the first place.
Keep going Sarah. 💐🌹🌸🌺🌷🌻🌼🌻💮🥀

Hi @IamSarah Just checking in and wishing you well.

Does your garden need any planting? Maybe some nice Christmas poinsettias?