LeedsReSisters presenting deputation to Leeds City Council follow live

[LeedsReSisters]

Watch the deputation being delivered live by Leeds ReSisters and the following vote here: leeds.public-i.tv/core/portal/home

Tomorrow, Wednesday 18th January, Leeds ReSisters will be presenting a deputation to Leeds City Council during the monthly, all councillors meeting.

The deputation calls for all women’s refuges to be single sex only.

“Lord Mayor and Members of Council, we are here today to ask you to consider the case for creating single sex refuges in the city of Leeds. We would like to stress 2 things as they underpin our message to you:

“Firstly, we believe that every victim of abuse should be given refuge and protection, irrespective of how they choose to present or identify.

“Secondly, we believe that in all societies, when biological sex matters, it really does matter. The reality of our bodies is a fundamental truth, and this is why women’s spaces and services exist. Victims of sexual assault and domestic abuse are overwhelmingly female and the perpetrators almost exclusively male. So where is this fundamental truth more important than in a women’s refuge?”

This deputation has been brought as a follow up to the protest that Leeds Resisters held in November outside the Council meeting.

www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/politics/sex-offender-stayed-in-leeds-womens-refuge-for-71-days-as-campaigners-protest-leeds-council-over-scandal-3920683

www.leeds-live.co.uk/news/leeds-news/group-protest-leeds-city-centre-25531119.amp

We hope that the deputation is carried forward and assigned to one of the council committees who shall consider the matter in consultation with the relevant Executive Member.

The deputation will be read just after 1pm and the councillor’s vote will follow. You can watch the deputation and the vote live here: leeds.public-i.tv/core/portal/home

Fantastic. Thanks for sharing.

Leeds city council are hoping this will go away. But they need to close this serious safeguarding loophole because the next time, a woman or child could be harmed in a place where they should feel the most safe.

Great work women, will follow with interest💪

Well done Leeds Resisters

Great work from Leeds ReSisters 👍

Brilliant, and excellent timing given the current level of attention on this. Have you sent out Press Release to all media outlets? Bet it would get good coverage

@Jamazon1 we sent a press release out for the protest, we are treading carefully tomorrow until we know our options. At the moment we would rather work with the council. We will see what happens tomorrow.

If anyone is on Twitter, please retweet, it’s very noisy on there tonight! ☺️
twitter.com/leedsresisters/status/1615418559869460480?s=21&t=6YcHSXSX1Fs6PzejNyDO1g

We will be tweeting from the meeting tomorrow and hope you can join us on the live link. Given current events, the vote will be…interesting.

If you can’t join us, follow the same link, and you will be able to view the recorded meeting.

Wednesday 18th January, 1pm
leeds.public-i.tv/core/portal/home

All the best for tomorrow! I’ll watch via the link.

I find it amazing that this man was able to live there for 70 odd days and no one was suspicious
I'd really be interested to hear from either a resident or staff from the refuge about what was happening during that time

Thank you. Good luck tomorrow.

Suspicious of what? I think I read at the time that the refuge had a separate building for trans women (albeit with an outdoor space shared with women and children). As far as the refuge workers were concerned, they would have just been a regular trans woman client.

Well it’s not separate if there are shared spaces

Power to you, Leeds Resisters.

I agree that there shouldn't have been shared anything.

Re @StillWeRise 's question about other residents, one was quoted as saying

"It’s horrific. As a victim of sexual abuse myself, the whole thing is triggering. I came here with my kids because I thought it was a safe place and to find out there was a paedophile living a few doors away for months is just horrendous.
I saw her several times hanging around where the prams are parked, she is tall and skinny with long brown hair and always wore a blue surgical mask. The whole thing makes my skin crawl."

Best of luck for tomorrow, Resisters.

Good luck today ladies.

Good luck

Well done and good luck!

I'll be watching today. Best of luck you wonderful women. ❤️

We did it! It has been assigned to the relevant committee, which mean it’s on record, which means it will be more transparent.

We’re going for a drink, lots of info to digest

Congratulations and well done on your hard work. Enjoy your drinks!

Thanks, ReSisters, brilliant work. Wish I could buy you a round.

(Well, if the lesbians amongst you ever feel like battering their heads against the brick wall of the council again for long enough to set up another Lesbian Strength, maybe I can - loved the 2019 one, and always wanted to thank you for that, too!)

Just seen this on twitter so came on here to check it out before RTing.

Well done ReSisters - I'm Leeds born and bred - so pleased this has gone through

Thank you all for pushing this. There is no excuse for what happened with KD

Sorry to butt in, really well done. You're probably already aware of this but jic please put the word out to sign an share the petition to clarify the Equality Act. It seems pertinent in this case.

I'll come back with a link to the MN thread, I don't think we're allowed to link directly on this board.