UK’s first trans and non-binary domestic violence refuge opens

[lechiffre55]

UK’s first trans and non-binary domestic violence refuge opens

https://twitter.com/Cavakaggy/status/1761028246559129613

https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/02/22/domestic-violence-refuge-trans-uk/

Congratulations to the UK's first trans and non binary domestic violence refuge. I hope you get all the support both political and financial possible. This TERF is incredibly supportive that the trans and non binary community has built a space of their own to support their own community. If it has a fundraiser I hope JKR donates with her usual generosity. I welcome this development and give my best wishes for long term success and hope you serve your community with pride and unanimous appreciation for all the hard work. This is important work and everyone contributing deserves praise and recognition.

I'm so pleased to see specialist support becoming available and I hope to hear of other trans/NB support services opening in other areas so they are accessible to all those who need it.

In the subject of double donations etc, I personally will continue to donate my cash to women's DV services. I know existing services for women experiencing DV are woefully oversubscribed & underfunded, and as a feminist women & children are my priority.

Hopefully though, there will still be lots of support for this refuge from the TQ+ community and allies.

This service has been running since 2022 (from facebook)
“What do we do? We provide one to one online support and advocacy for high risk trans, gender queer and non-binary victims of domestic abuse. This service provides high quality professional support by trained specialists who understand the specific needs of the community.”

And they announced in August of last year that they now had a refuge, so the article must be to mark it opening.

Meanwhile in Brighton (the irony) Rise is losing the funding for its LGBTQ services

It says losing this money means not only will its LGBT Refuge have to close, but its wellbeing in-reach service at Brighton Women’s Refuge will also have to go.
https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2024/02/09/domestic-abuse-charity-says-its-lgbt-service-at-risk-from-council-cuts/

I think it would be good to invest into a mental health facility to help them with their body dysphoria as well

I am a bit confused by it supposedly being the first though. I seem to remember one opening in Ealing(?) a few years ago which I donated to and a big thing was made about that being the first.
Pretty sure there are a lot of trans-only specialist services. I'm in a lot of left wing groups, and they're often talked about and sign posted.
Maybe I'm missing something but it does feel like this happens every few months. A new trans service will pop up, trans activists start frothing and tweeting that women will be upset about it but we go 'Sure, seems like a good idea'.

I wonder if the accommodation will be separated by sex? If not, what could possibly go wrong.

Pretty sure there are a lot of trans-only specialist services.

I think you are right, and maybe trans activists themselves are taken in by their own negative campaigning and so say there is no support.

On the other hand, it maybe from the wording that this is the first physical refuge ie this group have gone from providing online support to having somewhere that someone experiencing domestic violence can find refuge.

Or maybe they mean in Lancashire which I think is where they are based?

Great news. There was previously nowhere for trans-identifying-men to go to find refuge; so, I assume, in desperation, they attempted to access safe spaces allocated to women, with a degree of 'push back'.

I think it's great that there are now spaces for them to go, to access support, other than the spaces reserved for a different sex-class, where they might not feel welcome, accepted, or affirmed, also seeking their own support.

This has got to be a win/win, no?

Unless I'm missing something? 🤔

Not all trans people are TRAs.

absolutely right of course for something like this to exist, though I certainly wouldn't be donating.

almost no men's refuges exist. the reason why there's a need for women's refuges revolves around biological and social realities where men very rarely get the raw deal, like, unite y'know, people who've thrown their lot in with an incomparably physically stronger individual, raised this individual's children, given up their earning potential in order to pursue traditional gender roles, and so on... in terms of their role in a relationship, TW are vastly more like men than women.

And not all TRAs are trans people.

There is however a massive lack of anyone saying 'don't abuse/exclude women in our name, these political activists do not speak for us'.

(There is from LGB people and orgs interestingly.)

That's excellent news thanks for posting OP

Very good and would be great to see this being replicated across the country.

This is really great news. Set up by trans people for trans people. Just like women's refuges were set up by women for women.

Pretty sure there are a lot of trans-only specialist services.

there are a whole host of trans only support for teens.

I was going to say this. Given the entire ethos of a trans and NB shelter is that sex is irrelevant as gender identity is a characteristic that unifies people regardless of their sex how is this going to be kept safe for female residents? Anyway, we will see. I suspect it will make our points for us.

At least the women in that space have consented to be in a mixed sex space and made the choice.

It’s excellent news. I’m sure there will be wrinkles for them to sort out as there always are. But far better for the service to be able to focus on the particular needs of trans and non binary people.

Imagine if a group of "cis" people nailed a rat to the door?

But of course that won’t happen.

I think it would be better to fresh slate this. It’s a good project. Let’s hope all goes well.

Why would anyone ever do something so horrible, so threatening, and seek to intimidate people with trauma from having the accessible specialist resource they want and need to be able to recover?

Yes, I know. Canada. But I still struggle to comprehend how anyone could be this vile or dysfunctional.

I think it's brilliant for all the reasons said. It gives victims a place they can go and it should reduce the numbers of male people only having access to women's shelters.

Having been unable to get a place in a shelter when I needed it I will be appalled if there is outcry that they still want access to woman's shelters. Safety is safety when you are that desperate.

But on the topic of safety and I feel bad even saying it but I wonder if there will be incidents that show the XX NB people are hurt by the XY TW. I Hope not but I suspect this will be a very challenging shelter to run and keep everyone safe

I’d be surprised, though maybe I’m naive. People are generally fleeing male violence. Would a man fleeing male violence be likely to attack a woman?

You may find Tinsel's post above interesting. There are recorded issues of straight men of all gender identity choices and sexual harassment, exploitation and assault of women or all sexualities and gender identity choices. But it will be interesting to learn how a specialist centre organises to best provide for this group.

I dont want to derail this thread but there are according to support web sites 7 refuges for men in the UK.

In the early days women working for domestic violence projects were really peed off that they were expected to do the ground work of creating a refuge service for men ie women had set up services for women based on shared experiences of domestic violence, so surely men could do the same. At a later stage somewomen did participate in setting up support services for men because they felt their feminist perspective was important. The irony of course was that people including funders were saying to women you have the expertise, whilst as the same time saying we dont want to fund specialist services for women, isn't it just a housing problem.

I imagine they will separate trans masculine and trans feminine identities which will end up being single sex spaces.

Ironically, trans men have one of the only single sex female spaces in Brighton.