(From a thread by @Forwomenscot) The CEO of Edinburgh Rape Crisis has said "Sexual violence happens to bigoted people too. But if you bring beliefs that are discriminatory, expect to be challenged on your prejudice. Reframe your trauma" Apparently, survivors are to be "educated" in this service.
How dare anyone tell survivors that a trauma reaction to male people is unacceptable prejudice and why is this tolerated in the violence against women sector?
Let us not forget this is also a person who thinks they are entitled to laugh at stories of detransitioners and, as @JoanMcAlpine said, women discussing boundaries & male power. They later try to excuse it as a trauma response.
We know that women are already at risk of self-exclusion as they are fearful that they cannot be guaranteed female-only services. It has fallen (again) to unfunded women's groups like @WG_Scotland to clarify where women can find a safe space.
Now there is the also the risk that women will self-exclude if they fear judgement or being forced to "reframe" their trauma as the fruit of bigotry and prejudice. How is it acceptable @rapecrisisscot to talk about survivors like this?
The CEO finds it troubling that the service is mainly used by "cis, white, hetronormative women". Is this a function of institutional bias or a reflection of Edinburgh being 91.7% white?
We agree it is crucial to ensure that lesbians know they have a safe space to talk about elements of trauma which may be informed by their orientation & for BAME women to know that culture and experience will be respected.
But how do you encourage that when you make it clear that you think women who for cultural reasons cannot be in mixed-sex spaces need re-education? Or if you tell lesbians that a person who assaulted them was also a lesbian despite their bio sex if they identify as a woman?
And why sneer at "cis, white, hetronormative women"? Is their experience of rape a lesser one?
You might perhaps emphasise that this Mridul is a MAN and a LIAR (on at least his application to secure his ultimate job as the CEO of Edinburgh Rape Crisis. Although presumably the committee knew he was a man before they promoted him. Which shows how much empathy *they* have with victims of rape).
He's seriously mentally unwell and/or deluded as well if he thinks he's a woman.
And his comments also illustrate his complete lack of empathy and utter unsuitability for the role he lied his way into getting.
A situation where a man, enabled by cowards and idiots, is able to force himself into any role in rape crisis services for women is an utter obscenity. The misogyny of this.