‘Privileged’ Rowling sets up women-only sexual abuse centre
‘I founded Beira’s Place to provide what I believe is currently an unmet need for women in the Lothians area’
JK ROWLING has launched a womenonly support service for victims of sexual violence and said she is rich enough to risk her reputation in a row with Nicola Sturgeon on transgender rights.
The Harry Potter author’s concern that “trans inclusive” policies adopted by other support services has led to women failing to seek help is what moved her to fund Beira’s Place, which will be located in Central Edinburgh.
She pointed to an “unmet need” for women in Edinburgh, with the city’s existing Rape Crisis Centre run by a transgender woman who has previously suggested that victims will be confronted if they express “unacceptable beliefs” about gender.
In an interview with Telegraph columnist Suzanne Moore, published on the journalist’s Substack newsletter, Ms Rowling said that she does not consider herself “cancelled” despite becoming a hate figure for trans rights activists.
Rowling is currently engaged in a war of words with Ms Sturgeon, who will next week ask MSPS to approve her plans to introduce a gender self-identification system for Scotland.
Critics have warned that the system, which will make it easy to obtain gender recognition certificates, could be exploited by male-bodied sexual predators to gain access to women’s spaces.
Ms Rowling, who is estimated to have amassed a fortune of £850million through her writing, said: “I will always be able to feed my kids, even if everyone boycotts my books for the rest of my life. That is a phenomenally privileged position to be in.
“The only time I’ve ever made reference to being cancelled, my book sales went up,” added the 57-year-old, who has lived in Edinburgh for about 30 years. She has said her own experience of sexual assault in part informed her views on gender issues, which opponents have branded transphobic.
She was furious after hearing it claimed that female survivors needed to “reframe their trauma” if they took issue with being dealt with by a trans woman after suffering male violence, and that is what has prompted her to set up Beira’s Place.
That comment was made in a podcast last year by Mridul Wadhwa, the trans woman who is chief executive of Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre.
Ms Wadhwa, a former SNP candidate who has since joined the Greens, said that “bigoted people” could access her service but warned them to “expect to be challenged on your prejudices”.
The plan to develop a female-only service in the Scottish capital is believed to have been under development by Rowling for more than a year.
Women in Edinburgh who experience sexual violence will be assessed and referred for appropriate therapy, free of charge. It will open in the new year to offer help only to biological women. “I founded Beira’s Place to provide what I believe is currently an unmet need for women in the Lothians area,” Rowling said. “As a survivor of sexual assault myself, I know how important it is that survivors have the option of womenc-entred and women-delivered care at such a vulnerable time.
“Beira’s Place will offer an increase in capacity for services in the area and will, I hope, enable more women to process and recover from their trauma,” she said. It board of directors is made up of Rowling and four other gender-critical women with a history of feminist campaigning. They are Johann Lamont, the former Scottish Labour leader; Rhona Hotchkiss, a former prison director; Margaret Mccartney, a GP; and Susan Smith, a director at the For Women Scotland campaign group.
Isabelle Kerr and Susan Domminney, who between them have 32 years of experience at Glasgow and Clyde Rape Crisis, will run the service.
Ms Kerr said: “Violence against women and girls is an issue that crosses all cultures, classes, and religions.
“These are gendered crimes that are overwhelmingly perpetrated by men and disproportionately experienced by women.
“Beira’s Place recognises that effective sexual violence services must be independent, needs-led, and provide responsive, women-centred services so that they are free from the pressure of current political agendas.”
Despite pledging a free service that is likely to cost her millions of pounds, Ms Rowling faced a backlash from some trans-rights campaigners on social media for setting up an initiative that would exclude trans women. Under UK equality law, it is legal to exclude trans people from certain services or activities if doing so is a “proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim”.
In a joint letter issued before Ms Rowling made her announcement, Scottish women’s and human rights groups insisted trans-inclusive policies in centres dealing with female victims of male violence had caused no issues.
“All rape crisis services in Scotland are inclusive of trans women and have been for 15 years,” the letter said. “In those 15 years, there has not been a single incident of anyone abusing this.”
A spokesman for the Scottish Government said: “We welcome any initiative that will support women and girls who have experienced sexual violence.”