Not only did the Vancouver Rape Relief Shelter (VRR) storefront receive a dead rat nailed to its doorway, it was vandalized this week with messages of “Kill TERFs” and “Trans Power” scribbled in black marker on its windows.
These actions were taken against an organization that provides shelter, support and solidarity to women who are victims of domestic violence and rape.
Defend Feminists stands in solidarity with the women who need the services VRR provides and with VRR as an organization that expressly supports female victims of male violence.
As the Black Lives Matter movement shows us, it is racist to say “All Lives Matter” when confronted with the specific and unique reality of systemic violence black people face in our society. In a similar manner, women have a specific type of violence that is aimed at us because we are women. It is not “exclusionary” or “intolerant” of any other group to focus specifically on the needs of a demographic that is targeted.
Vancouver politician Morgane Oger, almost single-handedly responsible for getting the City of Vancouver to cut funding to VRR for not accepting males as recipients of their services, reveals mafia-like tendencies as this story unfolds by blaming the victims publicly on Twitter, of course.
Morgane Oger
“Regrettably but predictably, VRR choosing to ignore Canada’s civil rights laws causes blow-back. I empathize VRR feel threatened by the predictable response to their conduct. As I have previously offered, I am ready to help VRR get out of their mess if they wish to.“
While Oger, Vice President of the BC New Democratic Party, continues to release statements about this latest act of vandalism stunt on Facebook to appear condemning of the threats, Oger’s followers are speculating in the comments below that the women themselves committed the vandalism to make the trans movement look bad because…because they are “TERFs.”
We here at Defend Feminists are appalled by the vandalism, the death threats and the white, straight male power that is behind it. To donate to the Vancouver Rape Relief Center, please visit their site here: https://www.
This is frightening, and sickening. Women have a need and right to female only spaces and services. Male-to-trans who respond like this only prove that point: they’re dangerous.
Just as a Washington State NAACP chapter swiftly responded that white Rachel Dolezal was racist to be passing herself off as black, given she isn’t, it is sexist for men to claim they are women.
No men, especially men so misogynist as to claim they’re women, have any place in a woman’s shelter, bathroom, locker room, form room, or prison cell, etc.
My extreme gratitude to the Women of Vancouver Rape Relief for standing up for women even as they have been under siege from misogynist for decades. Your courage has long been a beacon of hope for this California feminist, and no doubt, for feminists around the world.
Absolutely disgusting that a woman’s shelter is being treated this way and I cannot believe the stupity of those who are defending bullying against women. Women go here to get awy from bullying, manipulative behaviour and actual violence and further threats of violence. The likes of Morgane Oger should be ashamed about this not trying to get more people to do it. A woman only centre needs to be just that there is no reason why Morgane could not set up a shelter for people like themselves. Women are constantly having to fight to keep their rights and I cannot understand why a so called democratic country behaves so badly to women in 2019