May 4, 2022 - 1:00pm
Sarah, a rape and childhood abuse survivor, never thought she would end up taking the organisation she turned to for help to court. Last year the mother of two attended group therapy organised by the Survivors’ Network, a Brighton-based charity offering support to victims of sexual violence, and initially found the sessions helpful.
But she was shocked when, at the fifth session, “someone who appeared to be a man” joined the group. This was in accordance with the Survivors’ Network’s policy of being open to ‘self-identifying’ women. When she complained Sarah was told “we do not police gender” and advised to seek support elsewhere. The Survivors’ Network is the only organisation of its kind in Sussex.
Fifty years ago, when women’s rights activists were scraping together the money and goodwill to build rape crisis centres, the idea that one day they would be publicly-funded probably seemed like an impossible dream. Last year Survivors’ Trust received £100,000 from government. But acceptance has come at a cost.
The form of feminism that has come to prominence within institutions like universities and charities has become increasingly divorced from the practical realities of women’s lives. The Survivors’ Network exemplifies this, providing jobs for a cadre of gender-addled professionals while losing sight of the needs of traumatised women.
The response to Sarah’s case has been polarised: some understand her to be taking a brave stand for women’s rights; others view her as attacking a vulnerable minority. University of Bristol legal academic Dr Yvette Russell has been particularly scathing, referring to the case on Twitter she commented, “I see the trans exclusive radical fascists are at it again, and there’s always a lawyer waiting in the wings to enable them.”
It is a testament to how deep this cultural divide runs that educated professionals who doubtless believe they have secured a place ‘on the right side of history’ are willing to call rape survivors like Sarah and her supporters ‘fascists.’ Sarah herself is adamant that she doesn’t “want to take away rights from anyone who identifies as trans” but simply “to make sure that there are services for women who need a female-only space.”
There are no signs of change within the Survivors’ Network. Last month the charity published an open letter criticising the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) for issuing guidance which suggested single-sex services were lawful.
Sarah feels bitterly let down:
On their website the Survivors’ Network boasts that it strives “to create an accepting, listening, safe, non-judgemental environment which seeks to validate and understand the survivors’ experiences.” But it seems clear: raped women who do not share their woke worldview should not expect support.
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SubscribeThis article has given me heart to file a complaint against the local sexual assault agency for telling me I had to accept men in my women’s sex assault survivor group. I had to leave the group and when I said on their FB page that men are not women, they blocked me.I used this article as well as the Women’s Declaration in my complaint. We are all in Hormone Hell.
And you have the support of all decent men who are not blinded by ideology.
Please do it. It needs women like you who are losing their rights to fight it I’m afraid, as you can exploit legal channels with good examples, and get precedents established that can then be used against those ignoring women’s rights.
Non illegitimis carborendum est!
If biological ♂♂ attend women’s counselling and support groups for rape victims, what are their motives? Are they genuine victims of sexual trauma, sexual fantasists or do they have a morbid interest in the rape of women? Whatever the case, sexually traumatised women have an absolute right to ♂ free space in their support groups.
Very good point.
Feminism has been appropriated by toxic men.
Sorry, is not Dr Yvette Russell not a woman?
Who knows these days?
My own observations, both day to day and what I see reported, are that many of the adherents, inquisitors and enforcers are women. I have no explanation for this, other than they are signalling membership of the ‘right opinions’ group and are unlikely to suffer any consequences of their opinions in their daily lives.
Woke ideology knows no sex or gender, the woke women are as bad as the men and may outnumber them.
Feminism has been appropriated by woke fascist scum.
Feminism has been appropriated by woke fascists.
About 70 years ago, Eric Hoffer wrote that all great causes start as movements, turn into businesses, and end up as rackets.
So we now see Survivors Network followed that path. An important mission, but now just a grift for entitled professionals with no commitment to the original cause, and lots of money to be had.
Have you got the reference? It’s certainly not in The True Believer
Like all revolutions, the feminist revolution has ended up eating its children!