Still no single sex Rape Crisis support in Brighton but…

[IamSarah]

Sisters Heal has launched - a not for profit org offering single sex women’s spaces.

Full disclosure I am helping Sisters Heal get the word out about their new therapeutic courses and retreats as they’re brand new (set up by survivors as there are so many of us in Brighton struggling without support) and not many women have heard of them.

Most of the activities are in Brighton or nearby but they will be running a lovely, supportive online women’s group starting in Jan next year exploring themes like self-criticism, boundaries, guilt and worthiness.

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/sistershealcic/1940244

Everything offered is single sex ♀

Here is their website:

https://sistersheal.co.uk

Any help you can give them by commenting on this thread or sharing the info with women who need therapeutic support would really help.

I’m sorry I don’t have an update yet on what has happened with the promised women’s group at Survivors Network, but as soon as I do I will share on here.

I’m very mindful that the yoga therapy classes are due to start this week. I don’t want to do anything that may harm the women attending or aggravate the venue.

As far as I know Sisters Heal are on top of it, the classes are going ahead as planned and the venue hasn’t cancelled.

That’s the second time on here I’ve seen Naomi Cunningham called Naomi Campbell 😂

Both fierce in different ways!

Sending all good wishes. Throughout history, whenever women have stood up for their rights there have been men and their handmaidens who have fought to suppress them through violence and intimidation - I'm so sorry that they are doing the same to you now. Good luck, this is such a valuable service that is much needed by women - don't let the bastards get you down 💐

Well you never know! She might hold the fort until I'm properly caffeinated ;)

sisters_heal

1d
We’ve had a lot of comments recently about our single sex and trans inclusion policies.

No other local women’s organisations offer therapeutic single sex spaces and we set up Sisters Heal in October last year to fill that gap.

We’re survivor-led and trauma informed and support women and trans people born female. We welcome all people registered female at birth, regardless of gender presentation or beliefs.

Sex is a protected characteristic and our therapeutic spaces are for people who were born female, were socialised as female and who share the unique experience of being female in a sexist society.

Our yoga therapy classes are designed for women and trans masculine people who have experienced trauma. This includes pregnancy and birth trauma such as miscarriage and stillbirth.

Holding a single sex space for these reasons is proportionate, legitimate and in-line with equality law and the women and trans people who use our spaces appreciate the option to heal in a place that centres their female experience.

We understand our model doesn’t work for everyone and we are not trying to be all things to all people. We are simply meeting the previously unmet needs of female people.

We are a small community organisation. We are funded by donations and run by volunteers. We’re not here to fight, or replace any existing support services. We’re just here to provide therapeutic support for the women and trans people who need us.

Thank you for your understanding ✌️ ♀️✨

feltykaty
You are amazing for doing this. 😍

barb_notbarbie
You provide much needed services. Well done

ainethedragon
Nice doubling down on your transphobia even after all the backlash on your last post. What a joke

superpennie
So trans men who have fully medically transitioned are welcome in this “women’s space”? How will you police the women who come? How do you know who’s trans? If a woman looks particularly manly, will she be presumed trans and turned away?

itzme_photos
The service includes the client base ot has identified as needing the service. Not everything is for everyone all the time.

waters.journey.acupuncture
at which point does someone trans masculine become too male for the group, and how do you make sure you don’t traumatise them in the process of deciphering that.

peachsweeties
you are choosing to interpret the supreme court ruling to be exclusionary. there is no hierarchy in the equality act and you cant say its proportionate because statistically, trans folks experience higher levels of SA and therefore deserve and require quality support. You have chosen a particular stance and many people in this fabulous city will remember and hold you to account

yogawitholive
EYEROLL you’ve literally not listened to any of the comments from people in the community and have just copy and pasted the exact same paragraphs addressing nothing

glftzwerg
as a trans man, with the history you say you cater for, this space would not at all be welcoming to me. you cannot pretend that my beard and body hair and lack of tits would be welcome here. you say you have an ftm person as a trans coordinator for those “questioning their trans journey”, but this person has actually detransitioned.

ttildaaaa
boooooo 🗣️🗣️

smtx_81
This service is really needed right now. Please ignore the entitled men who can’t bear women having anything of their own.

cornishcalzone
Hi, I’m a cis woman and would feel entirely unwelcome in a space like this. If I can’t trust you to support my trans and nonbinary siblings, I can’t trust you to support me either.

frankissteine
A service that excludes some trans people is not inclusive 🫠

campervanwoman
It’s brilliant that you are providing a much needed single sex service. Lots of women right across the country appreciate what you’re doing. 💪

-

Just copy pasting in some of the comments for the record.

When reading comments online, there is a tendency to assume that the people writing them are somewhat sane - this rent-a-mob are clearly not.

Oh fgs they are not bright are they?

A women's space that is in fact mixed sex is not inclusive either, because it bumps out women needing and only able to access a single sex space.

Mixed sex services are available, no woman desperate to be with trans identified men is being denied her desired provision.

Men trying to deceive their way in should be fucking ashamed of themselves. And there will be the mixed sex gender neutral one there for women who are trans identified.

All that is necessary is to tolerate the existence of a group that they themselves do not need or want to use. But they can't. Verucca Salt is alive and well and living in bloody Brighton.

It’s just so… bigoted isn’t it?

Sisters Heal embraces plurality of belief.

This provides a safe space for women with sex realist beliefs but also include trans identifying females.

Sex realist beliefs are worthy of respect in a democratic society and yet people who don’t share those beliefs (and who have many spaces of their own) throw their toys out the pram about such a space existing.

Luckily it’s raining in Brighton today making the chances of a protest even slimmer.

I hope all went well this week @IamSarah

It went well but unfortunately the venue has been receiving relentless demands to cancel the classes and make a public apology. They are now stuck in the middle, absolutely supporting Sisters Heal and the need for a single sex space but they are being accused of transphobia and their small local business is getting trashed.

There was no trouble this week, but even a tiny risk that a class could be picketed is an unacceptable risk. These classes are for women with PTSD and CPTSD who have been through trauma such as sexual violence and neonatal loss. The top priority is for them to feel safe.

Last October the trans activist group Bash Back vandalised the FiLiA conference venue, throwing paint and smashing the windows. These people are violent thugs, if they are low enough to protest a VAWG conference they may protest a yoga therapy group.

The classes will go ahead but it looks like the venue will have to change and be secret.

It’s outrageous this has to be happen, the women who need the space have experienced enough shame, and should be able to attend a women’s yoga therapy class without shame, but this is where we are.

I’m sure both Sisters Heal and Yellowave (the venue) would appreciate any messages of support.

Secret yoga classes for traumatised women - it’s crazy that the secrecy is necessary.

It’s crazy and so sad. Sisters Heal has only had a positive response until last week. Trans people themselves had been really respectful and supportive of the space, and grateful it included trans masculine people born female.

The people kicking off appear to be violent men and posh, middle class women with they/them pronouns and blue hair.

This should be all over the media. This appalling behaviour and prejudice and active oppression of others should be front page news, this group need the PR they are working so hard for.

And I would really like Phillipson and Streeting's views on do they think women need the SCJ to be in fact and not just on paper yet?

The trouble is women survivors and their trauma shouldn’t be the pawns in this battle. I know how it feels and it’s awful.

The priority should be securing the service and venue for the women that need it, once that is sorted then maybe the media.

The people kicking off appear to be violent men and posh, middle class women with they/them pronouns and blue hair.

I think this is a really important point and often the reality in universities.

Its a shame that those who seem themselves as part of the trans community cant bring themselves to publicly dissociate themselves from these misogynists.

Sadly the media thrives of these extremists.

Just like on any weekend there are any number of demonstrations and they only get in the news when a tiny number of people, who probably have no interest in the actual cause, turn up to "have a go" at the police, or whoever. And the media then starts talking about the demonstration as being violent, whereas 99% of it was peaceful.

Sad but inevitable 😞 women can’t have anything for themselves.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DTsvCkojPNf/?igsh=MTBtMWJkcDB1bWh6ag==

This is shocking. So sorry.

I hope this gets into the local press or even national.

So bullies are allowed to stop women supporting each other and stop local companies deciding who they want to work with.

You can imagine the screams and howls if women went round "bullying" any venue that agree to hold a trans inclusive event.

Relentless bullying. It's appalling.

So sorry. I hope the group finds a way to offer this service to the women who need it.

I really want this faced by Phillipson and Streeting et al, because this was the purpose of clarifying the law via the SC.

All these idiots are being asked to do is tolerate a provision existing that is for other people. Just tolerate it. They have all the provisions they need, but unless they have it all all the time, they're going to do a Trump.

There need to be penalties in law for this. If this was a white supremacist group treating a minority group activity in this way, it would not be allowed.

Indefensible that they behave in this way. Spoilt toddlers indeed, though very encouraging that the trans people SH originally dealt with were fine with this.

I really want this faced by Phillipson and Streeting et al, because this was the purpose of clarifying the law via the SC.

This is not about politicians.

This is about group think ie the vast number of people who have been Stonewalled.

These people now assume anyone who "indentifies" as whatever is a very special person and everyone should acknowledge that.

They are outraged that some people aren't.

And most of all they hate that women continue to defy the trans illusion.

Even if the law was clarified this wont stop this group of people.

Even if the law was clarified and those running the premises felt reassured, it will not protect them from harrassment by TRAs, it will not help them feel that to survive locally they will have to give in.

Surely after these years of TRAs defying the law nobody can imagine that they will just say, of course now that the law has been clarified we wont make demands any more, we wont harass women any more.

Unless and until the public care enough to stand up for women nothing will change.

It is because the public doesn't stand up for women that politicians feels they dont have to.

I don't agree. It comes from the top. Streeting could make the NHS get those policies sorted if he chose. Starmer could issue very clear public statements if he chose to. They choose not to.

Yes, absolutely. Unlike most of the problems facing the country, this one actually could be fixed relatively easily. If the will was there. Which is the frustrating thing about it.

Pie in the sky.

Just the same as never prosecuting cyclists for jumping the lights.

Even if tomorrow the Labour Government made a clear statement about sex based rights, the vast majority of the population would carry on under the influence of the trans agenda.

Do you think that suddenly in a 24 hour period people will start putting women as a priority over the a young relative or whoever that they are being kind to?

The real world does not think like FWR.

Just niave to think that.

Sorry to Sarah for hijacking her thread, but the situation of no single sex provision in Brighton just illustrates the point.

Even when the money is there to provide a women only service people just dont do it.