JKR opens a new support and advocacy service for women in Edinburgh

[ArabellaScott]

Amazing.

Suzanne Moore reports on the opening of 'Beira's Place':

'Beira’s Place is not a shelter or a drop-in. Rather, women will come, their needs will be assessed and then the appropriate therapy and help will be found for them. For free.

Sex-based crime in Scotland has been rising since 1974. Jo Rowling talks of answering unmet needs “As a survivor of sexual assault myself, I know how important it is that survivors have the option of women-centred and women-delivered care at such a vulnerable time.”

There are clearly so many unmet needs – waiting lists are huge for rape crisis centres all over the UK. Lack of funding is a key issue.

What Rowling has done here is astonishing. She has not only bought the building but is funding the entire service. This is not a charity. It does not depend on the whims of whoever is in power. While Rowling is covering the core costs, if people want to support it, they possibly could do so in future by donating towards extras such as service users’ travel or childcare expenses.'

....

'These women are fighting against male violence, and they really know what they are dealing with. Kerr and Domminney have between them more than three decades’ experience of running Glasgow and Clyde Rape Crisis. And Rowling has handpicked her dream team of board directors to support them: Rhona Hotchkiss, a former nurse, prison governor and advisor to the Scottish Government; Johann Lamont, Labour and Cooperative MSP, and a lifelong campaigner for the rights for women; Dr Margaret McCartney, a GP, academic and broadcaster; and Susan Smith, co-director of For Women Scotland, the largest grassroots women’s organisation in the country.'

suzannemoore.substack.com/p/an-exclusive-interview-with-jk-rowling?publication_id=22356

JKR gives the women of Edinburgh a wonderful early Christmas present. Thank you, JK. 🌟

Wonderful!
This is on a par with the work of Malala Yousafzai in carving out resources and respect for women and girls.
Thank Goodness!

Shelagh Fogarty has been talking about this on LBC just now.

I feel like going out and buying one of her books, just to keep her popular enough to not be cancelled.

About time, BBC.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-63943766

Do keep up. Other news outlets have skipped over the actual announcement and gone straight from zero-to-denouncement!

'Rape Crisis Scotland - which has 17 centres across Scotland - said it welcomed any new service to support survivors of sexual violence.

It added: "It is crucial that the life-saving support offered by rape crisis centres is available to trans and non-binary people.

"All rape crisis services in Scotland offer support to trans women and have done so for 15 years. There has not been a single incident of anyone abusing this.'

That's good to hear, Rape Crisis, but we have had at least two women right here on this very board telling us they couldn't access rape support services in Edinburgh because they needed single sex spaces. You are deliberately missing the fucking point.

There has not been a single incident of anyone abusing this.

This is one up from Childline - they'd got as far as "it's not abuse if the children don't mind".

For RCS, they've reached "it's not abuse if the abusers and their enablers don't mind".

"It is crucial that the life-saving support offered by rape crisis centres is available to trans and non-binary people.

But not crucial - or even vaguely necessary apparently - to offer support to women who need a single sex service. Ffs, is it beyond their wit to offer a mix of single and mixed sex services?

"There has not been a single incident of anyone abusing this.'"

What's their definition?

There has not been a single incident of anyone abusing this.

that’s some weasel words right there.

Nobody has to “abuse” anything. Male people don’t even have to even show up. The fact that they can is enough to keep some women away. The fact that a male person is the CEO of Edinburgh Rape Crisis is enough to keep some women away. The fact that “woman focused”, “supporting women” and such phrases can no longer be supposed to apply to only female persons is enough to keep some women away. It might be a small barrier, but it’s high enough to exclude some women, maybe even a lot of women, and the fucker of it is that the GRA was designed to preclude the possibility of that ever happening, because we knew back in 2004 that OF COURSE it would be a barrier.

The point is that policies that include male bodied people keep services inaccessible to some proportion of female survivors of male sexual violence. Their fear of men is profound, and real and it can’t be reasoned away by word games, it can’t be re educated out of women in order to cater to male people’s identities.

The abuse already happened. Opening the door to male persons accessing support intended for women was the abuse.

It doesn't matter, it's besides the point.

Some traumatised women need support in an all-women environment. No males, no matter how exemplary their behaviour. That's the point.

The abuse already happened. Opening the door to male persons accessing support intended for women was the abuse.

Indeed!

From a sexual assault survivor who lives in Edinburgh and can’t afford therapy- thank you JKR.

Yep, true.i agree completely.

I just find the absolute certainty of their statement bizarre. No other organisations would dar would they? To say that in 15 years there have been no incidents of abuse by predatory males? The NHS can't, no police service, the retail sector, education establishments and universities couldn't.

Seems odd that they see themselves as so watertight and different

Like fuck any woman who goes to ERCC under the auspices of Mridul Wadhwa and says “I need my support services to be women only, by which I mean female, XX, large gamete style only”, gets their request listened to. Aye, right.

I am mightily suspicious that Wadhwa’s feeling moved to go on record about the need to “reframe” trauma was prompted by just such a request. Doubt we’ll ever know.

Thanks JKR. You rock.

"It is crucial that the life-saving support offered by rape crisis centres is available to trans and non-binary people.

Yes/. It is crucial. And it is. It is not available at all to females who cannot use mixed sex spaces and services. Are they equally crucial? Because fuck all is being done about it by said services.

"All rape crisis services in Scotland offer support to trans women and have done so for 15 years. There has not been a single incident of anyone abusing this.'

And I identify as the QE2.

I had a couple of the Galbraith books in my basket on ebay 2nd hand but I'm now going to buy them new. Probably from Waterstones so I can watch the staff squirm.

This is fucking excellent.

All rape crisis services in Scotland offer support to trans women and have done so for 15 years. There has not been a single incident of anyone abusing this.'

when I was training and now at work, it's drummed in "if you've not recorded in the notes, there's no evidence it happened" they really are taking that to the nth degree!

"If WE don't agree it was an incident, then of course it never happened"....

It was a few years ago now, but a MNetter attended a meeting held with well known area leads for refuges where a group of women all tried to explain how impossible it was for them to access support or use the refuge with male people present, regardless of how the male people identified. The staff involved laughed, many women were in tears by the end of the meeting. One of those well known leads later gave an interview stating that no woman had ever raised an issue with them or their staff.

The lies are off the scale.

Like hell 'nothing has ever happened'.

I thought the way it was handled on WH was really odd. The link between what is happening in the Scottish Parliament and the item with SM was not made clearly. To jump from something that was talking about trans rights to something that is about womens rights seemed the wrong way round. Emma could have made the conflict more explicit. Talked more about the threats by TRAs to JKR. Appalled by the quote from Scottish Rape Crisis when they know full well how damaging their inclusivity policies are to women. Well at least it got some coverage at last I suppose.

The staff involved laughed, many women were in tears by the end of the meeting. One of those well known leads later gave an interview stating that no woman had ever raised an issue with them or their staff.

I remember that. The callousness, not to mention the fucking dishonesty, is extraordinary.

To be fair, the story broke at 9 am and WH went out about what, an hour later? I think 'hastily cobbled together' might cover it!

Really sorry if this has already been asked but have been too busy until now and not had time to read this whole thread.

Is Scotland not covered by the EA. If it is then all that the negative commentators show is that they dont understand the law. Not only has it always been possible to provide single sex services, but recently 2 difference ministers for women have confirmed that this is legal.

It is shameful that so many papers just act as a mouthpiece for the trans lobby and make out that this is something unusual.

Interestingly the guardian has done a fairly neutral report uk.style.yahoo.com/jk-rowling-launches-support-centre-162153262.html whilst the indipendent has gone all out pushing the discrimination line of women only services. uk.news.yahoo.com/jk-rowling-criticised-launching-discriminatory-132018595.html

And totally yes to everyone saying that JKR has yet again shown she not only cares, but she cares enough to do somethings. Have never read or bought any of her books, but now feel I should. What a standout contribution to women's rights compared to those who are paid to further women's rights.

And yes also to all those who have said if trans people care so much about trans women why haven't they set up a service for them? Oh wait a moment, that's because all the funded support centres in Scotland are already doing that - at the expense of women.

Yes, Scotland is covered by the EA, but unfortunately the Scottish Government are not too fussed about listening to the EHRC.