The 3rd Saturday EVERY month Spaces for women in Brighton & Sussex to talk, laugh & learn together in a supportive, female-only space Free travel for NRPF 🫶
STATEMENT: PRIDE & PREJUDICE
Let’s heal damaging divisions and celebrate our city’s diversity
"We are deeply saddened by Brighton Pride’s defamatory statement & their decision to decline our place in the 2024 Parade."
#SistersSalon
@PrideBrighton
Yes... that is a Brighton & Hove City Council logo
We are pleased to announce they have awarded us funding for our monthly women-only Salons & free creche
#SistersSalon
Thank you 💛
“It’s so f***ing cruel that I don’t get to continue on the incredible journey I was having.' Hannah Allbrooke, ex
@BHGreenCllrs
The problem is Hannah, is that Council work isn't about your 'journey', it is about meeting the vital needs of a city.
We are really disappointed that
@lloyd_rm
in today's
#MakeTheEqualityActClear
debate still does not understand equality law.
Clarifying sex to mean biological does not stop services from providing unisex services when appropriate.
#SexMatters
We are thrilled to be hosting
@helenlewis
author of Difficult Women and
@hannahsbee
author of Time to Think tonight in Brighton this evening. No more No Debate. It’s
#TimetoTalk
Goosebumps 💛
Today is the anniversary of Jo Cox’s death
It is not acceptable, that women are expected to tolerate threats of rape & murder as part of daily political life
We ask our community in Brighton to stop this misrepresentation & harassment of women who know that sex matters
Officers for
#SussexPolice
have failed to record more than 20,000 crimes, including almost one in ten sexual offences, a report has found.
11 of 63 reports of rape reviewed by the report being either wrongly classified or not recorded at all.
@bhlabour
“This is a victory for all people who have been subjected to sexual violence who need a choice of worker and group support on the basis of sex in order to feel safe.”
@bhlabour
@jesseward
@runthinkwrite
@UKLabour
@Keir_Starmer
@mcashmanCBE
Thank you Jon for being such a clear voice in Labour, consistently standing against the targeted harassment, dehumanisation & bullying of women who campaign for women’s rights.
We must have a clear cultural shift where this treatment of women is swiftly & clearly condemned.
Today is the anniversary of Jo Cox’s death
It is not acceptable, that women are expected to tolerate threats of rape & murder as part of daily political life
We ask our community in Brighton to stop this misrepresentation & harassment of women who know that sex matters
@BHGreenCllrs
Our sympathy goes out to those who lost their seats
but
we reserve the lionesses share of sympathy to the survivors of Brighton and Hove who now have to navigate a downgraded and decimated domestic abuse support services thanks to
@BHGreenCllrs
@bhlabour
@BHCETS
We stand with Sarah. Many women need the option of single-sex services when recovering from sexual violence. A rape crisis service which does not offer that option is failing in its core purpose.
Women who live, work or study in Sussex are invited to sign our open letter, calling on local councils, funders and charities to provide single-sex, trauma-informed services for women subjected to male violence:
#Brighton
has no women only rape crisis services.
A thread.
“The outcry over Wadhwa’s behaviour intensified following the sentencing of Downing, a coercive, manipulative male sex offender, who identified as non-binary” accessing rape-crisis centre.
"Rape Crisis services that fail to acknowledge that sex matters, and believe that women who want single sex services are bigoted, are retraumatizing victim-survivors and excluding them from life saving services"
Sisters Salon
#CreatingWomensSpaces
#EdinburghRapeCrisis
#Brighton
"rude words on paper", a 🧵(1/3)
Raising concerns about the trans toolkit (GIDS) & advocating for the rights of women & girls in
#Brighton
our committee has been subject to the following:
been spat at
been smoke bombed
been kicked
pushed to the floor
threatened
been followed
'I'm sorry but there is a certain amount of disbelief in the chamber... Setting a good example starts at home and I hope he won't ever behave as he did in the chamber that day'
@VictoriaAtkins
says what we've all long wanted to say to the preposterous
@lloyd_rm
7] More than 1,700 WOMEN reported being raped in Sussex last year – more than 30 a week – but just 50 rape trials took place & only 22 MEN were convicted.
Sussex Police are failing women.
@sussex_police
@BellaSankey
@FiLiA_charity
@BrightonHoveCC
We urge those attending the meeting to read the testimony of women in Brighton & Hove who need trauma informed single sex VAWG services.
"Rape Crisis services that fail to acknowledge that sex matters, and believe that women who want single sex services are bigoted, are retraumatizing victim-survivors and excluding them from life saving services"
Sisters Salon
#CreatingWomensSpaces
#EdinburghRapeCrisis
#Brighton
@lloyd_rm
He cites
#SurvivorsNetwork
rape crisis in Brighton that REFUSES to provide any single-sex rape crisis services. Meaning hundreds of women are self excluding & have no trauma informed therapeutic space.
You can sign our open letter here
@SarahSurviving
The biggest single indicator as to what kind of crime a person will commit or be subject to is SEX.
We can not measure, understand & tackle male violence when this is reported/recorded as a woman’s crime.
Nor accept male murderers into our spaces.
#NotOurCrimes
@BellaSankey
🧵
1/ Why are we sending a copy of Time to Think to every
@BrightonHoveCC
councillor?
@hannahsbee
's book is about a failure of governance at one of the most respected institutions in the world.
We think everyone in a position of trust should read it.
The leader of
@BrightonHoveCC
says her new cabinet will be "forward-thinking and continue to put residents at the heart of everything we do".
So why are local women still waiting for answers to questions put to councillors over 5 weeks ago?
🧵
1/7
Verbal abuse (TERF, sexual slurs, called Nazis)
Death threats
Police inaction
Mass emails defaming us sent to every school & venue in the city
WE have NEVER conducted ourselves like this. This is NOT both sides & it never has been
@lloyd_rm
@CarolineLucas
@peterkyle
@BellaSankey
Hove Labour CLP voted to uphold the sex-based rights of women & girls by clarifying the Equality Act 2010 yesterday
Acknowledging that sex exists, & that being female in a sexist society means women require protections & sex-based data is a small ask but a welcome win
@bhlabour
@BellaSankey
@LeslieAlan
As many of you are aware, Brighton’s rape crisis service, Survivor’s Network holds the same position as Edinburgh Rape crisis.
We know the harms that these discriminatory & exclusionary do to survivors.
Read the full judgement here
What an incredible event last night!! All the women at Sisters Salon are on a high today after hosting the brilliant conversation between
@helenlewis
and
@hannahsbee
.
Thank you so much to our two speakers and to everyone who bought a ticket and supported this event.
#TimetoTalk
6] "In addition to extended patrols in the area, we are working with venues and partners, to help keep PEOPLE safe," said
@sussex_police
No. These are crimes against WOMEN. If you can't name us, you can't protect us.
#StopRape
We know, because women tell us over & over again, that single-sex rape crisis is a fundamental requirement when accessing the life saving care that victim-survivors so desperately need.
This is not available in our city
@BellaSankey
@LeslieAlan
5] And these are just the reported rapes. There will be more.
In addition women & girls in Brighton have no access to trauma informed, single-sex rape crisis services, despite consultations demanding such services.
@SarahSurviving
Entirely predictable & the basis of why we have sex segregated toilets & changing rooms.
There is no shortage of data on how unsafe gender-neutral toilets are for girls.
It’s time to stop trading in their dignity & safety
#SistersSalon
We are very pleased to learn that Michael Cashman OBE has had the Labour whip removed
We hope
@mcashmanCBE
can extend a sincere apology to
@RosieDuffield1
, recognise his words place her in further danger & commit to reflection & sexism training.
@UKLabour
#SistersSalonElection24
Today is the anniversary of Jo Cox’s death
It is not acceptable, that women are expected to tolerate threats of rape & murder as part of daily political life
We ask our community in Brighton to stop this misrepresentation & harassment of women who know that sex matters
Mary Clarke- Brighton feminist- cruelly force fed by the state, dying as a result
For the women who came before you, and the women that come after us
#VOTE
Mark an X, spoil the ballet, but do what was denied to us Follow the link for polling stations & acceptable forms of ID
The polls are now open for the general election.
There is also a by-election to elect a new ward councillor for Brunswick & Adelaide today.
Voting at a polling station? Don’t forget to bring photo ID.
Learn more 👉
One of our members,
@SarahSurviving
, is bringing a legal case against
#SurvivorsNetwork
, the only
#rapecrisis
centre for Sussex, after they refused to provide a female-only support group
Use our form to add your voice (confidentiality assured)
@tryingattimes
@BHGreenCllrs
It’s very sad that several of the Greens who were not re-elected left before the vote counts were anounced.
Inappropriate & disrespectful to their voters, the City, & those who were elected.
2/3
windows of meetings kicked
been doxxed by Sussex police
accused of transphobia & bigotry
been blockaded
been excluded from community groups
employers have been harassed
received threats
(the banging is the room surrounded)
@OnjaliRauf
JUST GOT IN from
@Womans_Place_UK
#WPUKLab19
. Staggered by the disrespect shown by trans activists drowning out the voices of the very women who laid the foundations of the freedoms they enjoy. Quite clear women speaking their truth is a threat!
@BtonHovePolice
- awful&abysmal.
“Schools in England and Wales have been warned by one of the country’s leading equality and human rights barristers that the “toolkit” many of them use to support gender-questioning children is unlawful.”
#FirstDoNoHarm
@BellaSankey
More messages are coming in from women in Sussex explaining why we need single-sex services for survivors of rape and sexual assault.
Read more and add your voice here:
Support
@SarahSurviving
's crowdfunder here:
We sending our ❤️ to all celebrating
#BrightonPride
this weekend
We are 💔 that we can't march with you esp as we were involved in founding PRIDE in our city
As lesbians & bisexual women we still face lesbophobia & misogyny. For us ,marching is still a political & necessary act
So much love and respect for
@SarahSurviving
whose case against Survivors Network was featured today by
@junekelly1
on
@BBCNews
.
Watch the TV interview here (starts at 12:50):
1/5
Interesting thought from
@helenlewis
- when people have invested their whole lives and identities into gender affirming care it’s hard to go back. She likens the lack of critical thinking to the recent Post Office scandal. A sunken cost fallacy.
#PostOfficeScandal
#TimetoTalk
🧵
Brighton & Hove City Council elections take place this May - all our local council seats are up for election. We want women's needs and concerns to be heard by those asking for our votes. If you agree, please contact your local candidates of all parties
1/5
As part of
#16Days
we remember the Sussex women who have been murdered by men
#SayHerName
Nicola Stevenson was found dead in a wheelie bin in Lewes. A well-known figure in her community known for her good nature. She had a form of Russell-Silver syndrome, a type of dwarfism.
Maybe we should simplify our questions to parliamentary candidates to:
‘Do you find it difficult to condemn threats of rape, violence & murder made against a standing female MP?’
#SistersSalonElection24
For
#16Days
we remember Faye Isaac.
Little is known about her, we have no photos of her.
Street homeless she was murdered by a man in the women's toilets on Brighton Seafront.
The absence of information about her, makes it even more important that we
#SayHerName
#FayeIsaac
Women want and need single-sex spaces, especially for rape-crisis services.
48% of respondents to the Pan Sussex Violence Against Women Girls strategy asked for single-sex services. Their testimony can be found on our website.
@BellaSankey
@LeslieAlan
#CreatingWomensSpaces
At an event organised by
@BrightonHoveCC
with the title 'Re-imagine Brighton & Hove' with a focus on 'how we can make Brighton & Hove a safer city for women and girls'
Someone has just gone around the room SNATCHING the following documents from people.
#VAWG
This is an open letter to the NHS chief executives and chief nursing officers of the four UK nations, as well as relevant ministers, calling for the reinstatement of language that uses the word “woman” in NHS communications about women’s health. Please sign & share widely
Women in Brighton crowdfunded to send a copy of Hannah’s book
#TimeToThink
to every city councillor. We also invited them to our event
#TimeToTalk
to listen to Hannah Barnes & Helen Lewis.
They have a duty to engage, make better policies & not look away.
@hannahsbee
@helenlewis
More than 1,700 women reported being raped in Sussex last year – more than 30 a week – but just 50 rape trials took place and 22 men were convicted, according to new figures.
@BellaSankey
@KatyBourne
@LeslieAlan
#SistersSalon
@jesseward
@BellaSankey
@RapeCrisisEandW
@BTNWomensCentre
@SurvivorsnetBtn
We have been respectfully warning about the danger of mixed-sex rape crisis services for years.
For doing so we have been abused as transphobes.
Some of those abusing us, have committed sexual assaults against women & then accessed our services.
This does not surprise us.
We are excited to announce that we have secured a larger venue!
We will be releasing tickets to those who have joined the waitlist over the coming days.
If you missed out join the guest list here…
#TimeToTalk
#SistersSalon
@hannahsbee
@helenlewis
We have been asking
#BrightonCouncil
to fund our once monthly, 4 hour creche.
They have been considering our application for over a year.
Meanwhile the funding gap for projects supporting women & girls continues to increase
@BellaSankey
@RosaFund
Reference by
@helenlewis
to the Keira Bell case - the first time on record that judges found puberty blockers are an experimental treatment. An experimental treatment that’s a one way ticket. Almost every child that takes puberty blockers will go on to cross sex hormones.
🧵 Refuges & Rape Crisis services must have blanket single-sex policies. Unisex situations are a magnet for perpetrators.
In Brighton,
@StonewaterUK
bought our specialist DV refuge. Many of their services are both unisex & employ male staff.
@SarahSurviving
#BringOurRefugeHom
SHROPSHIRE REFUGE:
Her rapist, Steven Russell, was employed as a handyman after lying about his qualifications. He gained the confidence of staff so effectively that he had access to confidential files and could come and go as he pleased.
Thank you to everyone who attended last night. The recordings will be out soon!
If you would like to donate to support our campaigns and female only spaces, every donation is gratefully received.
We are run entirely by volunteers
#SistersSalon
#Brighton
Children with complex needs and multiple difficulties are automatically sent to gender clinics at the mention of gender dysphoria despite there being no evidence base that this pathway will work says
@hannahsbee
#TimetoTalk
DOES BRIGHTON HAVE A WOMAN PROBLEM?
One participant told me: “There were several survivors there and at least two left early saying they felt upset and intimidated by what had happened. One was a disabled woman.
@RHD86559591
@AlisonMoyet
Those who wish to erode women’s rights frame this as a culture war issue. To silence women.
Women have been speaking on this for more than a decade- all feminist, either apolitical or of the left.
Please centre women in this.
Rapes in Brighton & Hove are higher than the national average.
Sussex Police failing to record them is not the approach to bringing that number down that is supported by women in Brighton & Hove.
@BHGreenCllrs
@BHConservatives
@KatyBourne
We are thrilled to be shortlisted for the Emma Humphreys Memorial Prize
@EmmaHPrize
For those that do not know about Emma it is a time to remember her, honour her & reflect on her life.
#EndMaleViolenceAgainstWomenAndGirls
Emma Humphreys (1968-98). Campaigner with
@justice4women
, writer. The overturning of her murder conviction (1995) after 10 years in prison changed law for abused women who kill. An Inspiring story of survival through extreme adversity. Annual
@EmmaHPrize
is awarded in her memory
🏆2023/24 Shortlist is here! We have nine brilliant nominees: 🏆
Ali Morris
Ayse Hussein
Ellie Wilson
@JadeBlueLDN
Lisa-Marie Taylor
Natasha Benjamin
“Sam”
Sharon Holland
@SistersSalon2
Find out more about our nominees & buy tickets for awards night!
Keir Starmer responds to the shock data:
‘Patient security, safety & peace of mind comes first. That’s why we support single-sex wards,” he said, confirming that he meant single sex on the basis of biology.'
#StopHospitalRapes
@lloyd_rm
@peterkyle
@CarolineLucas
Women are sharing their stories on our
#WeStandWithSarah
page. Some of them are heartbreaking. It is enraging that this is necessary just to win back the spaces women made.
@BellaSankey
@LeslieAlan
If you live or work in Sussex, add your name to our open letter to local services, commissioners & politicians.
Trauma informed sexual violence support is a small ask for women (& girls) across our city subject to (higher than average levels of) abuse.
Following the cancellation of the Brighton Skeptics in the Pub event....
BOOK NOW 🎟️TICKETS SELLING FAST
#TimeToTalk
!
an evening with Helen Lewis & Hannah Barnes
9 Jan I 19:00 I Brighton
#SistersSalon
#TimeToThink
#TimeToAct
@EddieIzzardLab
A few areas of policy you are yet to speak on.
You are possibly not aware the enduring inequality in our city. You can read our briefing documents here 👇
#SistersSalon
We are very sad to see Cllr Simson lose her seat today.
Dee has consistently stood up for the rights of women and girls across Brighton and Hove.
Dee, on behalf of survivors, thankyou.
@Woodingdean_Dee
@jesseward
@BellaSankey
@RapeCrisisEandW
@BTNWomensCentre
@SurvivorsnetBtn
Many services designed & built for women, to protect & serve women because of the reality of being female are now unisex
From shelters, rehab facilities- and we know from staff & service users that the inclusion of males is making those services unsafe
We are proud to present the video recording of our sold-out
#TimeToTalk
event, with
@helenlewis
and
@hannahsbee
. We particularly urge policy makers at
@brightonhovecc
to watch and listen to this thoughtful, highly-informed conversation.
As part of
#16Days
we remember Sussex women murdered as a consequence of male violence.
Owner of Donatello, Sue Addis was such a special presence in the city, her passion for this place and its people was infectious, and her kindness legendary.
#SayHerName
#SueAddis
#IDEVAW
@bhcitynews
This persons sex matters- this is a male and his crime shield be reported and recorded as such.
Crime data must be accurate- it ensues proportionate funding. Stating this domestic murder as committed by a woman corrupts that data and hides the reality of male violence.
@BellaSankey
@LeslieAlan
As many of you are aware, Brighton’s rape crisis service, Survivor’s Network holds the same position as Edinburgh Rape crisis.
We know the harms that these discriminatory & exclusionary do to survivors.
Read the full judgement here
It is really disappointing, but unsurprising that this is a Sussex school. The Allsorts trans toolkit sets up this situation- mis education & a combative style of teaching.
It is no surprise that the students being spoken over & disregarded are girls.
Again- we urge those responsible for sorting out the commissioning crisis in Brighton’s women’s services (refuge service, rape crisis services) follow the tribunal of Edinburgh Rape Crisis- who embed similar models of only unisex provision.
Simply put- these models fail women.
Good morning.
We will be continuing to live-tweet the case of Adams v Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre today. It is expected to re-commence at 10am
The Claimant, was employed by Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre as a counsellor.
Women should not need to be doing this kind of scrutiny, unpaid and on top of our other commitments.
After the fiasco of the domestic abuse commissioning process in 2021, the council needs to rebuild trust with women. This is not the way to do it,
@BellaSankey
7/7
This impacts our schools too:
@BrightonHoveCC
2021 report on Harmful Sexual Behaviour in Schools:
More needs to be done to challenge existing misogynistic attitudes and the resulting harmful sexual behaviour experienced by girls in our schools.
Indeed.
The most moving moment of
#TimeToTalk
was that of a brave detransitioner:
“It was after I had a double mastectomy that I realised I was female”
Brighton & Hove must do better & adopt policies that are evidenced based & protect the health of our city’s girls
#FirstDoNoHarm
A fabulous write up of
#TimeToTalk
our SOLD OUT event in Brighton
Thank you
@helenlewis
&
@hannahsbee
who had the audience hanging on their every word. It is time to bring in a new era of evidence based support for gender confused children
@BellaSankey