A whole switch in ideology
Another move – finally!! – to give men a little attention for a change.
For the first time in its four-decade history, Dunedin’s Rape Crisis centre will work with sexual abuse victims of all genders.
The shift is part of a major overhaul of the organisation, which also includes changing its name to the Otepoti Collective Against Sexual Abuse (OCASA).
The move has been met with cautious optimism by the head of a New Zealand male survivors group, who said the more support organisations could work together, the better.
OCASA development co-ordinator Angelo Libeau said the historically women-only organisation had changed its constitution to work with people of all genders.
Good, because why should everything be about women all the time? For centuries, millennia, everything has always been all about women. At last we are starting to redress the balance!
“We said `if we’re going to make these changes, can we still maintain our feminist philosophies’, and we talked about it for a really long time, and then we went `absolutely you can – it’s about how you manage the space to keep everybody safe’.”
He described the change as “quite huge”.
Yes, it is.
Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse Trust chairman Phillip Chapman said Otago was leading the way in terms of communicating with the organisation.
…
But he acknowledged it would require some changes.
“If you’re only working with female victims, you don’t get the most pleasant view of men.
“So to start working with them, it’s a whole switch in ideology.”
Yes, it is.
So why can’t men have separate rape crisis centers? Geared toward the different needs of men? And women can have a nice, safe space where there are no men? Because they have reason to be scared of men? Oh, wait, I get it. Men > women.
Since male victims of sexual abuse are most often abused by men, I’m not sure how it will change. Oh, wait, they want us to judge most of the men by the victims. Okay, I get it now. Sorry, my fuzzy lady brain takes time sometimes.
Yikes, times have changed. When I was a child (maybe 10/11 or thereabouts), my mother sought help from the women’s refuge in Christchurch. When we turned up I was asked to wait in a room while the co-ordinator, other clients and my mum went off to talk. Mum was told that she and my baby sister could stay, but that I was too old. Too close to being a man; and therefore threatening to the other clients. To say mum was furious would be an understatement.
I note that each refuge works independently under a collective and that now days I would be very surprised if a male minor was excluded in this way. I’m also a supporter of the Refuge closest to where I currently live. They do great and very necessary work.
I find it really weird that for all the noise made by groups publicising male abuse victims rights, very few of them actually try to bootstrap local practical action akin to a refuge or specialist counselling centres. Rather they agitate for Government assistance and access to organisations women have already set up.
I don’t begrudge these men the help and assistance that they need, but I can only see this as leading to a dilution and ultimate reduction of assistance to women in need.
Not to mention, possible erosion of safety, since a predator could pretend to be a victim to get access to the victims who are escaping him.
I seem to recall Ally Fogg arguing against this sort of thing; men and boys have to be protected and served by *gasp* other men.
Ally Fogg, seems he’s also on the outer with the wokesters at “The Other Blog”.
Yep, several of the more ridiculous ones consider him an MRA.