https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1834651333288411231.html
@londoner_woman I challenged Sandy Brindley, CEO of Rape Crisis Scotland this year, at a criminal justice conference. She was on a panel. I challenged her trans activist partner, Professor Sharon Cowan, at another conference, earlier on this year. 😂💅
@londoner_woman I'm going to share a brief reason why I challenged Professor Sharon Cowan, at a conference, earlier this year, at Edinburgh University. A very strong woman, has asked me to do this, a few minutes ago.
@londoner_woman 1/ Here goes. The conference I attended at Edinburgh University, earlier this year, was specifically about discussing and tackling the huge rates of sexual abuse occurring on all the campuses.
@londoner_woman 2/ The panel was a mix of academics and Edinburgh University support staff. There was one student on the panel, a female, who happened to be a trans activist too. More of this later.
@londoner_woman 3/ As I read the information about the forthcoming conference, I noticed that Professor Sharon Cowan, also a major trans activist, and partner of Sandy Brindley, CEO of Rape Crisis Scotland, was going to be on the panel also. This was thee deciding factor for me attending.
@londoner_woman 4/ This is Professor Sharon Cowan. She has/is very influential on legalities, including trans rights. (Just for context)
@londoner_woman 5/ More context: In 2021, a group of female survivors of sexual abuse/rape, met with Sandy Brindley, CEO of Rape Crisis Scotland, to discuss their concerns about the proposed 'SELFID' laws, especially with regards to wanting female only practitioners/therapists.
@londoner_woman 6/These brave women met Sandy Brindley at Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre. The women were supported and accompanied by Joan McAlpine, who was an MSP of the Scottish parliament, at the time.
@londoner_woman 7/The group of survivors were called 'Heal Survivors' and they wanted assurances that they would be able to access female only practitioners, in light of the current political climate.
@londoner_woman 8/ At the meeting, with Sandy Brindley-unbeknownst to the Heal Survivors and Joan McAlpine- Sandy had surreptitiously invited her trans activist partner, to this confidential meeting, Professor Sharon Cowan, trans activist.
@londoner_woman 9/ Sharon Cowan was not introduced at this meeting. The women thought she must be another survivor, just like them.
@londoner_woman 10/ Subsequently, when one of the women was sharing her concerns about the prospect of not being guaranteed a biological female practitioner, Sharon Cowan started to berate this woman, infront of everyone-thus retraumatising this woman and the group.
@londoner_woman 11/Infering that these women were bigoted for wanting a female worker, and not biological man, who identified as a woman, to be their therapist/practitioner. These women were not given any assurances at this meeting that they would get trauma informed care incl: female workers.
@londoner_woman 12/ Sandy Brindley broke the anonymity of these survivors and broke their trust by having her trans activist partner present at this meeting-as it was clearly a nefarious agenda at play. It was an act of intimidation. Unsurprisingly these women were devastated.
@londoner_woman 13/Now back to me deciding to attend this conference at Edinburgh University. I went there for the sole purpose to challenge Professor Sharon Cowan, on her repugnant behaviour towards the heal survivors, and in light of the nature of the conference re:sexual abuse on campus.
@londoner_woman 14/ So, I booked my place on this conference and I went along. Prior to going, I re-read some of Professor Cowan's published academic papers, just to remind myself, again, what I was dealing with. This will become clear, shortly.
@londoner_woman 15/ At the conference. Arrived. Purposely took a seat, further at the back, incase I got recognised. Mostly students were attending this conference, in what appeared to be in normal uni classroom. The room was packed, with the panel seated at the front.
@londoner_woman 16/ The panel discussed the huge rates of sexual abuse, including rapes, at all of the University Campuses. It was pretty clear that this was/is a massive scandal and that Edinburgh University were not dealing with this situation well.
@londoner_woman 17/ Even the reporting systems in place were not working effectively, nor were the numbers of incidents being properly documented. The numbers of incidents in the hundreds. Let that sink in.
@londoner_woman 18/ Much was said about the need to 'create safe spaces' on campus. These words were echoed, again and again. It appeared to me that these issues were not being properly addressed by Edinburgh University, and obviously young women were mostly the victims.
@londoner_woman 19/Towards the end of the panel discussion, even Professor Cowan mentioned the need of safe spaces for victims of sexual abuse, on campus. I couldn't believe my ears. So I decided to use her comments to then segue into what I wanted to say to her-during question time.
@londoner_woman 20/ Question Time: I waited till approximately 4 people asked a question of the panel, before I came in, with my note pad ready 😂.
@londoner_woman 21/ Now for the fun part. My turn to ask the panel. I thanked the panel first and for highlighting the need to create safe spaces on campus. I then turned to address Professor Cowan. I began by acknowledging her mention of the importance of safe spaces for survivors.
@londoner_woman 22/ I asked her how can she mention the need for safe spaces for survivors of sexual abuse, when she berated the Heal Survivors, at a confidential meeting, at Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre, because these survivors wanted female only practitioners-trauma informed care.
@londoner_woman 23/ I also mentioned that the survivors did not know who she was, and that it wasn't appropriate, in any way, for her to even be there. I told her she re-traumatised these women. Shaming and berating them for wanting female centred care.
@londoner_woman 24/ I then read out specific passages, from one of her academic papers, regarding 'sex by deception' in the context of people concealing their trans identity. Her paper, an apologist piece, has some very very questionable hypotheses.
@londoner_woman 25/ Unsurprisingly, she didn't look happy and invited me for a chat afterwards, in her office. I didn't go. I did however have trans activists going a bit mental at me, during the conference, for having the temerity to hold Professor Sharon Cowan accountable, publicly.
@londoner_woman 26/ I will now be posting the academic paper, in question, on this thread, shortly. I did think about writing a piece about this experience, afterwards, but to be honest I was incredibly jaded. Luckily I wasn't assaulted during or after the conference, but I did get a lot of shit
@londoner_woman 27/ Here is the academic paper that I pulled relevant passages from and read out loud at that conference.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/15e5T9y13WSA1ZIDeThZkQ6XVQCc9zUUK/view?usp=drivesdk