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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(By the way, I just donated to the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre through their JustGiving page. I hope that at least they’ll get something of a financial silver lining in addition to all the profile-raising transphobic attacks on them!)
@Seth S:
Casual misogyny and slut shaming is, as always, perfectly fine when applied to people we don’t like. Two thumbs way, way up!
@Dormousing_it
I have no problem with helping domestic violence survivors (actually regardless of motivation, which I somewhat agree with Kimstu about the real motivations, although I also would point out a crisis center can’t be sprung up out of nowhere, this does have to be an operation that was planned for years before this whole disaster with trans rights). The end effect outweighs the motivations and intent of the person who organized the center.
My concern is that she will end up hurting survivors in her crusade to screen out the evil trans, but as I have already seen in my own discussion with a right-winger, there is zero way to persuade a motivated person that hurt is even occurring.
And if you’re in crisis and you’ve not heard anything in the news and you just know the books… the instant credibility is there. The Harry Potter woman will save me! I loved her books/my kids loved them, I can turn to her, she’ll save me from my husband/boyfriend/other abuser… and BAM. You walk in fully trusting and get traumatized again proving you’re not trans (or are and then get kicked out to boot). Or have to leave because you won’t comply, sure, but then it’s the struggle of do you continue to try and find a solution or do you just give up and go back home to your abusive situation like you were always meant to?
I just don’t see any implementation of this idea that cannot have a result like that, and no way to make a right-winger care that it’s hurting people in the zealous guard against the trans. But I admit I lack imagination and don’t particularly care to solve it.
@Big Titty Demon
Ugh, thank you. That was bothering me too.
In this case, I wouldn’t give her the benefit of the doubt. I think this is a horrible idea.
Maybe I’m cynical, but knowing how the Edinburgh Rape Crisis centre was targeted, suppose Rowling banks on people protesting her centre so she can turn around and go, “Oh, look at the evil trans activists, they’re hurting vulnerable women!”
Plus I’m skeptical of charities started by celebs who don’t have expertise in that area. E.g. wasn’t Leonardo diCaprio’s environment foundation criticized for being ineffective? (But to be fair, he’s also donated to other environment groups.)
Anyway. She could give money or publicity to another sexual assault centre rather than trying to start her own. But I guess the others on her radar weren’t transphobic enough.
That last part. Can she show her lack of real caring any more clearly?
What about the trans MEN, I say? They might still have vaginas and breasts, but have short haircuts, but no beard without T. Where do they go? Or do they have to go to a men’s shelter and get beat up and raped again for having lady parts?
She’s seeking attention because for some reason she’s got a terrible hatred of trans women, and she’s rich. She ought to put her money into already-existing shelters, but then she couldn’t control it and play noblesse oblige to the captive audience of peasants.
With her jail warden and poisonous politics, and probably no day care for the kids, who will definitely hear all about the eeevils of trans.
The definition of “limousine and champagne liberal”. Of course, judging by her treatment of other countries and PoC in her work and her subsequent irrational freaking out over anyone not cis-het, I’d say she’s 100% Tory now. And I’d say that to her face. While demanding SHE drop trou to prove she hasn’t been passing all these years.
This place is going to be so mismanaged that we’re going to see scandals and lawsuits for years to come. Over/under on how long it lasts at all? Maybe Ms. Wadhwa’s Crisis Center can inherit the building and turn it into something for ALL women.
Migraine continues into second day, which it hasn’t done in years and years. Argh. Excuse me while I trepan myself.
@Crip Dyke: You (and the others here) are so actually polite. It’s too refreshing to have people around who can apologize and accept apologies.
@KimStu: Very good!
She’s attracted a lot of good publicity over her charitable habits, at least before her transphobia crowded all that out. I don’t believe anyone ever investigated where all those charity pounds were going. Someone probably should. I bet this is not the first self-serving act disguised as a good deed that she has done.
“Oh, bugger—if only Dementors were real!”
JK says the reason she feels the need to “defend” cis women from trans women is that she spent years being abused by a cis man.
She hates trans women because of what a cis man did.
This is a bit weird.
Hateful and cruel and breathtakingly unfair of course, but also weird.
@Dormousing_it
Because, as said in one of the linked articles, many of those shelters, if not all, are overlaoded already and under threat by transphobes. Considering they are doing it indirectly already, I wouldn’t put it beyond to actively try and hurt someone who needs the service, teans or not. Imagine protests like the one in front Planned Parenthood in front of those centers. You might have to go this specific one, and, as others said, not get the help you need because you don’t meet their transphobic standards, or get traumatized even worse while trying.
@GSS
Trans men? What? Those are just confused women, they aren’t real!/s
That’s usually the stance from those pieces of trash. We “women” who are actually trans men or, like me, non-binary are either just confused, mentally ill, or it’s a misguided attempt at attaining male privilege instead of fighting for female rights.
Btw, I hope your migraines are getting better soon. Got them myself, it’s hell. Just took triptanes as well since I had a sudden onset at work…
I think it’s somewhat likely the whole thing is meant to be a PR stunt that never actually opens, so that it’s failure is blamed on those dastardly trans people. If it does open I do genuinely hope it helps people, but given the behaviour I’ve seen from most GC ideologues, it probably won’t. At best it gives them a pool of vulnerable women to exploit for a political agenda that has nothing to do with their actual trauma.
This moral panic, like a lot of others, is meant to scare cis women into obedience. Helping these women overcome a traumatic response to a group they see as outsiders or “degenerates” would be anathema to their entire ideology.
@Magnesium, @Dave: Agreed.
Hoping today’s sinus headache doesn’t set off the migraine again (Same side of my head). All I’ve got is ibuprofen and caffeine; wish I had triptans, but I haven’t had an attack this bad in… maybe this century? Put all devices on night mode and have sunglasses handy everywhere. Probably better take a low dose of ibuprofen and try to head it off at the pass.
@Magnesium: I couldn’t agree with you more on all counts. I hope it doesn’t open, frankly — it will possibly do a lot of harm to already-traumatized people, what with the cross-examination about “real” gender, and the preaching they’ll hear.
Probably just a “look at meeeee!” hissy fit.
“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.”
How is this a catch? Trans women are literally not female but male. Barring them is thus exactly what it says on the tin.
“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.”
Silly. The primary motivation is surely to assist female rape victims, but you throw in this absurd slander. ‘It’s all about the trans!’ No, don’t be dumb.
@Anna Kiddna
I really, really hope you’re being sarcastic and not serious.
Oh great Anna back to make her ass jealous of her mouth
@fishy
She’s not. She’s just an asshole
@Anna: So how should this centre make sure people using its services are female?
@Anna
How is she gonna screen the arrivals, TERF?
@Anna
I, too, am very interested in how you think she will make sure that the arrivals are not trans women. Mandatory exams, is it?
And let’s not forget the existence of cis women who wouldn’t have a uterus to show the full-body scan—which would eat up budget that could be applied to food, shelter, and health care, but screening out the wrong chromosomal profile has priority!
I have never been able to have children. My BFF had to have her uterus and all associated parts removed fairly young so they wouldn’t kill her.
I guess Queen TERF wouldn’t let us in either!
Both of us would much rather go to Ms. Wadhwa’s anyway.
I wonder if this will ever get up and running, or if she’ll drop it once she’s gotten enough attention.
If I was in Edinburgh right now, I’d go there and hand her a pile of cash.
@David: Can you ban the drive-by troll (who is either a dude or a woman who’s under the impression she’s one of the Good Ones the MRAs won’t hate; sorry hun!) already.
Two semi-OT links that folks here might like to look at.
Right-wing actor Kirk Cameron wanted to promote his new kids’ book by reading it to kids at various libraries. Cameron is unhappy that the same libraries that host drag queen story hours won’t host his story hour.
https://www.advocate.com/news/2022/12/07/anti-lgbtq-actor-writer-kirk-cameron-shocked-libraries-rejection
The sealed records of the Club Q shooter’s earlier run-in with law enforcement have now been unsealed over the protests of the shooter and his mother. The judge decided the public interest in what happened back then overrode the suspect’s desire to keep them private.
https://www.advocate.com/news/2022/12/09/new-revelations-about-club-q-shooting-suspect-unsealed
checks stopwatch Wow. Three whole days between us criticizing Rowling again and Anna Kiddna showing up to defend her this time. Caught napping?
I wonder what the odds are that Kiddna is Rowling? She seems like the type to ego-surf so I don’t think we can rule it out …
On screening entrants, the answer is: the exact same method as was employed by single sex amenities in general. In other words, no scans, no inspections. When did single-sex toilets them? Never, because they aren’t and have never been considered necessary. Yes, this means some males will possibly slip in if they pass as female quite well, exactly as has been the case for amenities.