In Brighton & Hove the centre providing services to female victims of domestic violence has been deemed as being not inclusive enough and had its funding withdrawn. The centre had actually started providing services to trans women yet this was not considered inclusive enough. As a victim of extreme male violence in the past (resulting in several weeks in the hospital, extensive surgery and numerous metal plates needed to hold my face together), just the sound of a man's voice puts me on edge. Two years into my recovery, the sound of a man still triggers me. I can sense a male at 20 feet. The presence of a man sets my anxiety and PTSD off, it takes me days to settle. As such, even after lots of therapy, I can only access women-only spaces. The fact that women-only services are being withdrawn, at the demand of biological men, especially those who claim to be women, means victims of male violence, like me, have no safe space, no specialist support, no value, no consideration. Women who have experienced extensive trauma at the hands of men are told to shut up, to stop being a TERF and think about the needs of the 'transpeople'. I would rather the 'transpeople' thought about the experiences and needs of women. Especially women trying to recover from male violence.

#unitedkingdom #brightonandhove #domesticviolenceservices