Author and anti-trans activist JK Rowling has announced she is launching a crisis center for female victims of rape and sexual abuse. The catch? Beira’s Place, as the center is called, won’t allow trans women to use its services.
The exclusion of trans women from Beira’s Place isn’t a bug; it seems to be a, if not the, primary motivation behind the service. Indeed, Rowling came up with the idea for Beira’s Place; she told anti-trans feminist Suzanne Moore, in what can only be described as a fit of pique caused by remarks from Mridul Wadhwa, the trans woman in charge of Edinburgh’s Rape Crisis centre.
Wadhwa had said that transphobic clients of the centre would have their bigotry challenged. Wadhwa also said it was possible to “reframe” one’s relationship with trauma so that “it becomes a story that empowers you and allows you to go and do other more beautiful things with your life.” As a result of these comments and the fact of her being a trans woman in the first place, the Edinburgh Rape Crisis centre endured a torrent of death threats and other abuse from transphobes that led to the centre having to lock itself down.
Furious at Wadhwa’s comments, Rowling didn’t send any mean emails; she just decided to build a Rape Crisis centre that wouldn’t employ, or serve, Wadhwa’s kind. As Moore tells it, Rowling
recounts … hearing the phrase about women needing to “reframe their trauma”. It really got to her, Why, she harangued her husband, when you are extremely traumatised and go somewhere for support, should your beliefs come into it?
“I was climbing the walls. It’s not a political thing to me; this is personal. And then, after two days, I had the lightbulb moment and I thought, ‘I don’t have to pace around my kitchen ranting. I can actually do something about this.’ And that’s how it started. So here I am.”
So here she is, funding a service that avoids the “politics” of the sexual abuse of women by systematically excluding a whole class of victims.
By funding the whole thing herself, and not registering Beira’s Place as a charity, Rowling seems to want to avoid government oversight over its transphobic policies. It may be able to keep itself from getting shut down for discrimination because, as PinkNews notes,
Under the Equality Act 2010, transgender people are protected from discrimination, but services are able to exclude trans people from single-sex spaces if this exclusion is a “proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim”.
That seems like a rather large loophole.
The idea behind excluding trans victims is that cis women need a place to go where they feel safe. Never mind that there’s no evidence that trans women accessing support services would make cis women less safe. If feelings of safety are all that count, racist whites could make the same argument about a shelter needing to exclude women of color.
It’s unclear how the service staff will be able to discern whether or not a potential client is genuinely cis. Will they side-eye cis women who look insufficiently femme? Will they require a genital inspection? There’s no way to prove one’s gender identity that isn’t in some ways humiliating.
On Ovarit, the Redditesque hangout for so-called gender-critical feminists, one regular hopes that the new center will make Rowling look good to those who were critical of her for supporting Johnny Depp against the many compelling abuse allegations launched against him by ex-wife Amber Heard. No, really. She’s not bothered by the transphobia–obviously–but she doesn’t seem terribly concerned about the sexual abuse victims the centre is supposed to help either. She just hopes that it will be good PR for her beloved Jo.
“Am I the only one who hopes that JKR’s new rape crisis center might redeem her in the eyes of everyone bashing her for supporting Johnny Depp?” asks EvilTerfyTerf in a comment.
Thanks to this shelter, it just got a lot harder for the TRAs [trans-rights activists] to claim that she hates victims of DV, especially since she is one herself.
Fwiw I’m not defending Jo’s initial support of Johnny, but the sad truth is, it’s not uncommon for abuse survivors to scapegoat/turn on other victims in an attempt to uphold their own credibility.
SMH. The TERFs truly live in their own little world.
EDITED TO ADD: Here’s an interesting little tidbit. So much for “safe” spaces for women.
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This personal crusade of hers over the idea of trans people exist. What a waste.
Her books suck too.
It is. See para 789.
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/notes
Well, sure, but it all comes down to “proportionate” and “legitimate” doesn’t it?
I did raise an eyebrow at Mridul Wadhwa’s comments at first, as I couldn’t see how a time of emergency in someone’s life is the point where it would make sense or be constructive to challenge their biogtry (unless they were being abusive to staff/other service users). Like if someone racist used a suicide helpline, I would think the first priority is to help them from that time of crisis and save their life.
But knowing how horrible the UK media is – both in general and towards trans people particularly – I did 5 seconds of googling and, surprise suprise, her words were taken out of context. She even clarified further and it’s completely apparent she’s discussing ongoing therapy:
As far as JK’s response goes, whateher the context – urgh on every level.
JKR: FOAD.
I mean that sincerely. Rich people suck and should have their wealth (and their companies) taxed appropriately. Pres. I Like Ike himself, WWII hero, had tax rates at 90% on the richest, and yet somehow the US managed to have insane levels of economic growth in the 50s. And no recognition of LGBTQ or PoC, nor liberated women, so it didn’t even lead to SWM losing status either!
And why is she so Karen/toddler tantrum about trans people anyway? Did one cast some sort of evil spell on her? Or did she sell her soul to Satan for money and fame, under the condition she be super-whiny about trans women? Or is she just a fucking clueless White woman who thinks Breeders Uber Alles? She’s “wyt” as some of the Black folk spell it.
Is her shelter going to be running DNA tests or demanding all the traumatized women come in and drop trou in front of strangers to prove they aren’t trans? Because if we’re going to judge by, say, jaw structure, I have bad news for her. There was a gorgeous trans woman who was Playmate of the Month in like 1980; she’d had all the surgeries inside and out and you literally couldn’t tell.
Terfyterf, like most of the irrational right, has accidentally said the actual truth instead of what she thought she was saying: maybe abuse has turned her against other victims, thus her support of Depp and funding a place that excludes some women who are abused (at higher rates than cis, I bet).
I am a straight white lady and if I was subjected to DV, I’d damn well go somewhere else for help. That Ms. Wadhwa’s center sounds like a good place.
STFU you hack, and MYOB. Then FOAD.
@Crip Dyke: Please. She’s a rich and famous person in a country still ruled by the inbred unelected descendants of various jumped-up medieval (literal) robber barons. Add to that the fact that para. 789 which @Alan pointed to gives her an out right there in the notes.
And it’s not like the carousel of unelected Tories who want to be nobility are going to care either.
Having to make an unplanned landing in the UK would cause a cardiac arrest knowing her adventures are supported by government policy. They might as well drag a person to Siberia in chains.
@GSS
I’m sorry what are you talking about?
The only thing I was talking about was exactly how large the exception is, and that depends on how the wording of the exception is interpreted by the courts.
This is just neutrally discussing statutory interpretation. I said nothing at all about JKR, whom I am not defending in any way and am pretty offended that you think that my post that doesn’t mention her is somehow intended to indicate that I’m on her side in literally anything.
@Crip Dyke: I apologize unreservedly. I can only plead a migraine that’s gone on much of the day, and throw myself on the mercy of the court.
I daresay, non-famous people are going to get away with this terf crap too, though. I agree with you that that “equality” legislation has many, many holes big enough to drive an aircraft carrier through.
Also not keen on the exceptions in stuff for those who can’t be bothered to deal with disabled or pregnant people. Although I’ll grant that putting a chair lift on a horse-drawn carriage isn’t reasonable. Probably scare the horses. So I’m OK with that exception.
Reminds me of when Clint Eastwood had a hissy fit about his restaurant being told to put in ramps so people in wheelchairs could get into the place and then get to the bathrooms. He ran for mayor for just that reason, because his macho entitled SWM fee-fees were hurt so badly he had to have a tantrum. That was decades before he became Old Man Yelling At Chair for Mitt, and before he only objected to Tr*mp’s inability to be genteel.
Anyway, sorry again.
I’m just… I’m gonna go pray some more
With such completely relevant, absolutely not ad-hominem commentary based in fact, we keep the tone of our conversation utterly beyond reproach.
Has JKR given any implementation details of this Place? I had an argument on this subject with a right-wing person and couldn’t even find any agreement at all on the first two points discussed before I had to leave and give up. He was being gross about women in centers having to have rape kits done anyway so it would be easy to tell, whereas I maintained that domestic violence centers are not only for those who have been raped and it seems really gross and probably illegal for a private organization to demand a rape exam be done on all entrants in any case.
This point was not conceded to me because of the ghastly possibility that a trans woman might rape a cis woman in a crisis center (which causes all mistreatments of women in general to become permissible), to which I pointed out there is no case of that ever happening, never ever, in the literature, despite so many people just salivating for it for political points. I was then told that’s because the media wouldn’t report it because we live in a country where the media have an agenda (including Fox News AND Newsmax!!) and I had to leave the conversation before I committed homicide.
There is literally no way to convince a right winger it’s even the slightest bit a bad idea.
GSS:
Accepted with a warm heart, and now the original misunderstanding is forgotten.
IDK, at least this is an improvement on her harassing people on Twitter, and will maybe hopefully shelter some cis women DV victims? Maybe? Having lived through DV myself I wouldn’t hold it against anyone for finding shelter there, anymore than I’d hold it against e.g. a cishet homeless person for leaning on Salvation Army. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.
Though knowing how this sort of rich person’s venture usually works, we’ll probably be seeing scandals come out around it in a few years.
How are they going to determine that all the women aren’t trans? Are we going to further traumatize rape and domestic abuse women with genital inspections? Did trans women lost their humanity card and not need help? If you are born intersex you don’t get help? What if you are an XY woman with disorders of sex development? I remember similar crap said about ‘the gays” when I was a kid. It was stupid and hateful then and it is stupid and hateful now.
Well. If this is true, I feel a lot less sanguine about the place even helping cis women.
https://nitter.net/solidsnade/status/1602294869573124097#m
Putting a prison warden on the board of a shelter is a bad start to begin with, but one whose prison was known to be extra abusive? Seriously?
I was going to wonder at the utility of a rape crisis center that excluded trans women, and likely any lesbians that were considered too butch. And also, I would assume, any woman who seemed too, you know, athletic.
But Cyborgette’s last post kind of blew things to a whole ‘nother level. Clearly this place is being designed to hurt people she doesn’t like, as opposed to actually helping anyone.
Ugh, somehow I misparsed this as a DV rather than sexual violence crisis center. That’s, well… I sure hope their counselors are good.
@moregeekthan
I don’t think it’s deliberate malice. I think it’s more a very mainstream and carceral-feminist worldview, where police and prison wardens are good by default. We’ve already seen pretty well unfortunately that Rowling doesn’t do systems thinking, and doesn’t understand systems of oppression.
And again, I have to marvel about her hypocricy and complete lack of self-awareness. When she receives any comment that can be seen as even remotely threatening, she throws a huge tantrum, claiming that the entire trans community is crying for her blood. Yet at the same time, she actively and knowing supports organizations who are actually and openly crying for the blood of the trans community, actin a way that makes life incredibly unsafe for any trans people, and also hinders the work of organizations who try to improve the lives of women just because they don’t exclude trans women while doing so. Oh, and apparently paces around her kitchen ranting angrily about a comment a trans woman made that had no relation to her. Talk about sanity.
@Lollypop
Thankfully I read the article from openDemocracy linked above first, where her statement is far, far better explained. She really gets severely misrepresented. It’s sad, but kinda expected from those shits.
@Cyborgette
That is nothing short of horrific. A true recipe for disaster if I have ever seen one…
But I also find myself intrigued by the site it was posted to. Is that a Twitter alternative? Is it better moderated and less right-whiner friendly than actual Twitter?
I think places that apply those loophole just do it on the basis of presentation (which is the only way they COULD do it.) I have read places most likely to use this are places dealing with victims of male violence / abuse who maybe triggered by (apologies for want of a better phrase) by people who would be deemed, by appearance, to be men.
Either way I have heard precious little from places who do apply the sex-based exceptions. I have only heard of one case of a cis woman suing a charity because she felt uncomfortable at the inclusion of trans women. You would have thought she would just go elsewhere.
Oh Christ it’s this attention hoe again. I swear she’s just not happy unless she has at least one major news story about her circulating per week.
Besides the same concerns as others have brought up, one thing I’m curious about is how they intend to handle women with children.
I heard, anecdotally, that a woman who went to a single-sex abuse shelter with her children was given a choice to either put her son on the streets (or back with his abusive father) once he turned 10, or else leave the shelter.
Because apparently 10 year old boys are men and therefore a threat to women.
Legit question, though. Many abused women have minor children in tow who shouldn’t be forced to stay with the abuser or fend for themselves. Some of those minor children will be boys. I don’t know that there’s any way they can truly exclude EVERYONE that they define as male and not be seen as the inhumane horror show they are.
Probably not a popular view in this space, but here I go:
I don’t see what the problem is. If she’s funding this Center herself…people who don’t like her beliefs can go elsewhere. If a trans woman is in crisis, why would they want to go for help to a place where they are clearly not wanted?
When a person is in crisis, I believe that, first and foremost, they should be helped. And, helping them should always be the overriding consideration. Most of the people needing help from shelters of this sort, aren’t trans women.
Although I also thought the same thing as many other commenters here – how is it going to be determined that a person is trans?
@KMB
It’s a Twitter frontend, it bypasses pops demanding account creation and whatnot. And probably provides some anonymization. I use to for following stuff that’s still on Twitter, I haven’t had an account there myself for years.
And yeah I’m probably giving JKR way too much benefit of the doubt, really. Despite being trans, some part of me tries see the woman and abuse survivor, and not the corrupt billionaire who defends abusive cis men in the same breath she decries trans people. I should probably work on that.
@Dormousing_it: “I don’t see what the problem is.”
No problem at all with JK Rowling choosing to start and support an organization to help (some) women who are victims of domestic violence, as far as I can tell.*
The criticism of Rowling is based not on the fact that she wants to help (some) abuse victims, but that what motivated her to actually launch this initiative was her transphobic anger at what she perceives to be insufficient discrimination against trans women.
As the tweet that David quoted points out, Rowling has been a billionaire (and a domestic-violence survivor herself) for many years. If founding an institution to help female abuse victims was such an important issue for her, she could have done so at any time out of her abundant means. But somehow it didn’t occur to her until she saw it as an opportunity to enforce exclusion of trans women from “female spaces”, which is clearly the issue she REALLY cares about.
*(Except that yeah, as other posters have noted, the whole concept of physically screening victims to enforce the exclusion of transgender ones seems highly questionable for cisgender as well as transgender women. In general, “service” organizations whose primary purpose is to exclude and demonize a particular group usually don’t do a great job of benefiting the non-excluded population they’re ostensibly serving, either.)
@Dormousing_it
That was my feeling at first too, but I kept asking myself: how would I like it if majority-white city had a crisis center for white women only? Even in addition to other, inclusive crisis centers?
And no, we wouldn’t be a majority. We’re definitely overrepresented as rape survivors though – speaking also as a trans woman who saw a counselor at a (inclusive) crisis center for a time, and would be a lot worse off if I hadn’t. I have more friends who are survivors than not, and often the less passing ones have been through the worst; and that same crisis center has helped some of them, too.
But, IDK. I just hope that the center at least is fit for purpose.