The CEO Of The Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre Advises Rape Victims To "Reframe Your Trauma"
Exactly What A Man Would Say
Imagine for a moment that anything remotely similar to this would be told to a group of vulnerable people, especially to women who have been sexually assaulted.
Sexual violence happens to bigoted people too. But if you bring beliefs that are discriminatory, expect to be challenged on your prejudice. Reframe your trauma.
Such was the pronouncement from Mridul Wadhwa, Chief Executive Officer of the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre (ERCC) on the The Guilty Feminist podcast August 2nd.
It should be noted that Wadhwa’s confirmation to head the ERCC wasn’t without controversy: indeed, in a position that was supposed to be a slot for a woman to fill, Wadhwa is a transgendered woman but only insofar Wadhwa identifies as one.
There are questions as to how Wadhwa is considered a woman at all when Wadhwa is alleged to not have actually made the transition through gender reassignment surgery nor does Wadhwa allegedly have a Gender Recognition Certificate.
Both are needed to satisfy the claim of being a woman under Scottish law.
Wadhwa is also no stranger to making controversial comments.
Indeed, Wadhwa has gone on record to say it’s “troubling” that the services the ERCC provide are mainly used by “cis, white, heteronormative women”. In a city that is nearly 92% white I find it troubling the suggestion that anyone other than the dominant demographic in what is ostensibly the whitest country on planet Earth would use these services when no other racial demographic would be sufficient.
I also find the whole “cis, white, heteronormative” terms to be troubling as it oozes contempt that somehow the trauma of sexual assaults of white hetero women is less than anyone else’s experience of sexual assault.
Telling women who have survived a sexual assault to “reframe their trauma” is politicizing support for an ideological dogma, at best.
At worst it’s male privilege which doesn’t end when it puts on lipstick and a dress.