Beira’s Place vs. transgender people

Beira’s Place is a trans-exclusionary private support service for victims of sexual violence in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was founded by anti-trans extremist J.K. Rowling as an alternative to Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre, which offered trans-inclusive services and hired trans staff. Beira’s Place explicitly prohibits trans women from using their services or working as staff or volunteers.

In 2026, Amnesty International UK listed Beira’s Place in reports on the anti-rights movement in the UK, listing it in the “gender critical” category.

Background

In March 2019, Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter in Canada was stripped of city funding for trans-exclusionary policies. This infuriated anti-trans activists worldwide and inspired many to attack trans-inclusive shelters in their own communities.

One person who was angered by these events was J.K. Rowling, who was becoming increasingly vocal and strident in expressing anti-trans sentiment. In June 2020, Vancouver Rape Relief sent a letter of support to Rowling.

Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre

Background

Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre (ERCC) was founded in 1978. In the 1990s, ERCC joined with other local centers to form a national Scottish Rape Crisis Network. In 2002, that network was renamed Rape Crisis Scotland (RCS).

Much of the information below is summarized from the 2024 independent review by Vicky Ling.

For Women Scotland / “HEAL Survivors Group”

On October 25, 2019, Maren Smith and other Scottish anti-trans activists associated with For Women Scotland created an official-looking logo for an informal entity they called “HEAL Survivors Group” and met with Sandy Brindley, Chief Executive of Rape Crisis Scotland (RCS), and Caroline Burrell, Manager of Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre (ERCC). According to the “HEAL” version of events (disputed by other attendees):

“Our stated purpose was to seek reassurance that female survivors of male sexual violence would not encounter men, including men with the protected characteristic of gender reassignment, in the female-only therapeutic environment and to share our concerns about including any men, including those with the protected characteristic of gender reassignment, in this environment.

[…] The meeting was arranged on our behalf by a third party who had become aware of the concerns of self excluding survivors and hoped a face-to-face discussion between a few of us and RCS could help address those. That person attended but took no substantive part in the discussion or in the follow up action described here.

[…] When the mother of a daughter gang-raped in 2014, who was also present at the meeting, explained how traumatising it was when her local rape crisis centre refused to guarantee her child a female counsellor, Ms Brindley did not acknowledge that this should never have happened.

[…] Later, another member of our group explained that traumatised female survivors, including herself, frequently suffer from hypervigilance, which means they read males as male regardless of presentation (even when others do not).

[…] One of the women said that she self-excludes from the ERC service as she feels they are hostile to women with gender critical views.”

Also in attendance was Sharon Cowan, Professor of Queer and Feminist Legal Studies at Edinburgh University. The “HEAL” attendees were upset about this, as Cowan framed the legal issues in ways with which they disagreed. In October 2022, Maren Smith and three anonymous “HEAL” signatories submitted a report to Scottish Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee Convener Joe FitzPatrick.

COVID response and turnover

During Scotland’s COVID response, ERCC saw significant turnover in Trustees and staff. In 2021, Michella West and Katherine McGough resigned from the ERCC Trustee Board in February, and Sabiha Vorajee resigned in April. That month, Katie Horsburgh, Niamh Crossan, Mari Redman, Bethany Reid, Sarah Russell, and Elke Cradden were appointed to the ERCC Trustee Board. In April 2021, Caroline Burrell resigned as ERCC’s CEO, and Margaret Chapman was appointed as Interim CEO.

Mridul Wadhwa (CEO, 2021–2024)

Mridul Wadhwa is an Indian-born Scottish-based women’s rights, trans rights, and anti-domestic violence campaigner. Wadhwa worked at Shakti Women’s Aid from 2008 to 2017, then at Rape Crisis Scotland from 2014 to 2018. Wadhwa was manager at Forth Valley Rape Crisis Centre from 2018 to 2021.

In July 2021, Wadhwa was appointed CEO of ERCC. Wadhwa is a transgender woman, which led to significant anti-trans backlash and a sustained campaign against Wadhwa by anti-trans extremists. In August 2021, Wadhwa appeared on the Guilty Feminist podcast and was asked about people seeking services who held discriminatory beliefs. Wadhwa said:

I think it’s important that there’s a group of women that I’m really interested in, who are affected by this debate. And I say debate very generously because I don’t believe it is. Debate is when there’s equality of voices and respect. But this is about who has power and who doesn’t.

But there are a group of survivors who will be watching and seeing what is being played out about spaces that they’re potentially going to use. And be informed or misinformed about what actually happens here and be, possibly be fearful. And I think if you’re worried about these things, about inclusion and what trans inclusion means within women’s organisations and if your local women’s organisation or Rape Crisis Centre or Women’s Aid is openly trans inclusive, and you just don’t understand, reach out to them and ask those questions. I think it’s important to know that we see you as an individual. And we come as survivors with experiences that often feel to the outside world as holding prejudice. So we might have fear of men of a certain ethnicity, we might have fear of trans people, and it could be linked to an experience of trauma. I think it is, it is okay to hold those things as long as you are willing to acknowledge that, in support, we will accept that.

But there is a difference also when, and I am not sure if I said this as clearly and transparently as I want to, but I’m trying. Apologies, if I haven’t done it well. But I think the other thing is that sexual violence happens to bigoted people as well. And so, you know, it is not a discerning crime. But these spaces are also for you. But if you bring unacceptable beliefs that are discriminatory in nature, we will begin to work with you on your journey of recovery from trauma. But please also expect to be challenged on your prejudices, because how can you heal from trauma and build a new relationship with your trauma, because you can’t forget, and you can’t go back to life before traumatic incident or traumatic incidents. And some of us never, ever had a life before traumatic incidents. But if you have to reframe your trauma, I think it is important as part of that reframing, having a more positive relationship with it, where it becomes a story that empowers you and allows you to go and do other more beautiful things with your life, you also have to rethink your relationship with prejudice. Otherwise, you can’t really, in my view, recover from trauma and I think that’s a very important message that I am often discussing with my colleagues that in various places. Because you know, to me, therapy is political, and it isn’t always seen as that.

Wadhwa’s interview comments were widely quoted out of context in the anti-trans press, and over the ensuing years anti-trans extremists vilified Wadhwa on social media. Kellie-Jay Keen posted an inflammatory video about Wadhwa, and Graham Linehan published Wadhwa’s home address.

In August 2021, Elke Cradden resigned from the ERCC Trustees. In April 2022, Kathryn Dawson and Rowena McIntosh resigned as ERCC Trustees, and Miren Ochoa Sagues was appointed as an ERCC Trustee. In June 2022, Carolyn Fox-McKay, Mairi Rosko, Elaine Cameron were appointed as ERCC Trustees. In July, Fatime Krasniqi resigned as an ERCC Trustee. In October 2022, ERCC started to offer services to men and all genders. That month, the four “HEAL” signatories submitted their report to Scottish Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee Convener Joe FitzPatrick. In November 2022, Ariadna Guerra-Grenot resigned as an ERCC Trustee. In February 2023, Sarah Russell resigned as an ERCC Trustee.

Roz Adams employment tribunal against ERCC

In March 2023, ERCC employee Roz Adams resigned, later filing an employment tribunal claim against ERCC, alleging illegal treament for holding “gender critical” views. In May 2023, Mairi Redman resigned as a Trustee, and Molly Little and Gracie Lee were appointed as Trustees.

Starting in August 2023, both parties attempted to settle Adams’s claim. Trustees met several times to discuss how to limit damage to ERCC
and support staff and themselves. In October 2023, Nico Ciubotariu resigned as COO. In November 2023, Amrita Dash was appointed as interim COO.

In May 2024, an employment tribunal ruled in favor of former ERCC employee Roz Adams, finding that Adams had been subjected to unlawful harassment related to gender-critical beliefs and criticizing aspects of ERCC’s disciplinary process.

Independent review of ERCC and Wadhwa departure

On October 13, 2023, RCS CEO Sandy Brindley recommended that an urgent review should be carried out regarding ERCC’s processes and guidance in relation to the National Service Standards. RCS commissioned an independent review by Vicky Ling.

Ling’s report was published on September 12 and found that:

the centre had failed to provide protected women-only spaces in line with national standards
Wadhwa “did not understand the limits on her role’s authority”
Wadhwa “failed to set professional standards of behaviour”
Some survivors had been harmed by their experiences with the service

On September 13, 2024, the ERCC board announced “Mridul Wadhwa and the Board have decided that the time is right for a change of leadership… Mridul has stood down from her role as CEO of ERCC.”

On September 19, 2024, RCS CEO Sandy Brindley apologized publicly, saying in part “I want to apologise unreservedly to survivors who have been let down by the failings identified in the independent review. I also want to apologise to everyone who has raised concerns over the years and felt they weren’t listened to.”

Beira’s Place

JK Rowling was deeply unhappy about the appointment of Wadhwa, and in the weeks after Wadhwa’s August 2021 podcast interview, Rowling began setting in motion what became Beira’s Place. It is named for a mythological Gaelic divine hag.

Rowling funded WFRS Edinburgh Limited, a company incorporated in Scotland on November 25, 2021. Over the next year, WFRS began securing an Edinburgh location and staff for Beira’s Place. The Twitter account was created in August 2022. Rowling announced funding for the project and the founding board in September 2022. Their website went live in December 2022. Beira’s Place officially opened on December 12, 2022. In January 2023, Beira’s Place began accepting referrals.

On its first anniversary in 2023, Inaugural CEO Isabelle Kerr said that its phone service had helped almost 2,000 people seeking support, and over 250 survivors of violence had used its safe space. In December 2024, Lesley Johnston replaced Kerr as CEO.

In May 2026, the UK entity of Amnesty International published updated reports on the anti-rights movement in the UK. The updated version expanded the list of anti-rights organizations identified in the 2025 report to include a “gender critical” category. Beira’s Place was listed in that report and a second report in July 2026. Following backlash, Amnesty International UK took down the second report.

Beira’s Place released a statement that said:

“Beira’s Place was established in 2022 to address an unmet need for a single sex support service for female survivors of male violence. We are proud of our work and we know how much our service means to the women who have used it. It is inexplicable that Beira’s Place has been listed as an “anti-rights organisation” in a report published last week by Amnesty International. This is deeply offensive to Beira’s Place staff who work day in day out to support survivors, and to the women who need and use our service. We will continue to focus on the needs of the women who come to us and, through the integrated work we do with partners such as Edinburgh’s Equally Safe Committee, we remain committed to a vision where women and girls can live in a world free of sexual violence.”

On July 14, 2026, Beira’s Place sent a letter to Amnesty International and its UK entity that stated in part:

To suggest that our client, which supports some of the most vulnerable women in society, is “anti-rights”, is “targeting the rights of women or LGBT+ people” or is seeking to “weaken existing human rights protections” is grossly offensive and entirely without foundation.

[…] In wrongly and maliciously categorising our client as “anti-rights” the Report is defamatory of Beira’s Place and also constitutes a “Malicious Publication” in terms of the Defamation and Malicious Publications (Scotland) Act 2021.

[…] The suggestion that Beira’s Place is “anti-rights” because it provides a lawful single-sex service fundamentally misunderstands both equality law and human rights principles.

[…] Our client therefore requests that Amnesty:

Immediately withdraw the statements in the Report which refer to Beira’s Place as an “anti-rights organisation” or suggest that it targets the rights of women or LGBT+ people.

Publish a correction acknowledging that those statements were inaccurate.

Remove Beira’s Place from any future publications or materials that categorise organisations as “anti-rights” or similar.

Provide an explanation as to the basis upon which Amnesty reached the conclusions contained in the Report.

People

WFRS Edinburgh Limited officers

Susan Chynoweth-Smith
Rhona Hotchkiss
Johann Macdougall Lamont
Margaret McCartney
Joanne Kathleen Murray

Board

Rhona Hotchkiss
Johann Lamont
JK Rowling
Susan Smith
Margaret McCartney

Staff

Lesley Johnston: CEO (since December 2024)
Marion Blackwood: Deputy CEO (since early 2025)
Isabelle Kerr: CEO (2022–2024)
Sue Domminney: Deputy CEO (2022–2025)

References

McCool, Mary; Stalker, Fiona (September 19, 2024). Charity boss apologises to rape survivors over crisis centre failings. BBC https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj310jvzpd8o

Stone, Gemma (September 13, 2024). Mridul Wadhwa quit Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre after sustained anti-trans campaign against her. Trans Writes https://transwrites.world/mridul-wadhwa-quits-ercc/

Ling, Vicky (September 12, 2024). Edinburgh Rape Crisis National Service Standards Report. Rape Crisis Scotland https://www.rapecrisisscotland.org.uk/resources/ERCC-Review-Report-FINAL1-.pdf

Emplyment Tribunals (Scotland) (May 14, 2024). R D Adams v. Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre, Case No: 4102236/2023. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66618ed3fa3a410907e67be7/Ms_R_D_Adams_v_Edinburgh_Rape_Crisis_Centre_-_4102236.2023_-_Judgment.pdf

A. Ramsay, ‘Anti-trans activists forced Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre into lockdown’, openDemocracy,
[website], 17/10/2022, https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/5050/trans-scotland-mridul-wadhwa-forwomen-scotland/ [

“HEAL Survivors Group” (October 26, 2022). Response 309991204 to Scottish Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee Convener Joe FitzPatrick re Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill. https://www.parliament.scot/-/media/files/committees/equalities-human-rights-and-civil-justice-committee/correspondence/2022/gender-recognition-reform-heal-survivors-group-letter.pdf

Rebecca Bull (January 29, 2020). Briefing Note: Impact of Gender Recognition Reform on Sex Based Rights. Murray Blackburn Mackenzie https://murrayblackburnmackenzie.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/impact-of-gender-recognition-on-sex-based-rights.-r-bull-11-feb-2020.pdf
Fair Play For Women, ‘Single sex services & the Equality Act: A new statutory Code of Practice must help everyone get clear what “single sex” means’, Fair Play For Women [website], 8/08/2019, https://fairplayforwomen.com/single-sex/,
For Women Scotland, ‘The Real Crisis at Rape Crisis’, For Women Scotland [website], 10/08/2021, https://forwomen.scot/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Mridul-Wadhwa-GuiltyFeminist-transcript.pdf
Norman, J. ‘Has everyone really got it wrong’, Filia [website], 26/08/2018, https://www.filia.org.uk/latest-news/2018/8/23/has-everyone-really-got-it-wrong
Sharpe, A. ‘Will Gender Self-Declaration Undermine Women’s Rights and Lead to an Increase in Harms?’, The Modern Law Review, 83, 539-557, 2020.
The Scottish Women’s Convention, ‘The Scottish Women’s Convention report on a Roundtable event: Single Sex Spaces’, Scottish Women’s Convention [website], July 2022, https://www.scottishwomensconvention.org/files/single-sex-spaces-report1660641977.pdf
Women and Girls in Scotland, ‘Female Only Provision: A Women and Girls in Scotland Report’, Women and Girls in Scotland [website], 3/06/2019, https://secureservercdn.net/160.153.138.217/unb.7ef.myftpupload.com/wpcontent/uploads/2019/09/WGS_female_only_provision_report.pdf,

‘Stronger Together: Guidance for women’s services on the inclusion of transgender women’,
LGBT Youth Scotland, September 2015,
https://www.lgbtdomesticabuse.org.uk/media/1167/stronger_together_-_september_2015.pdf

Anti-trans coverage

Storrar, Krissy (September 30, 2024). Rape Crisis boss ‘knew in 2019 about lack of female-only spaces.’ Scottish Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-13904845/Rape-Crisis-boss-knew-lack-female-spaces-five-years.html

Media

The Guilty Feminist with Deborah Frances-White, Kemah Bob, and Mridul Wadhwa (August 2, 2021). 265. Creating Our Own World with Kemah Bob and Mridul Wadhwa. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VseSexcsa8 alt url https://guiltyfeminist.com/episode/?episode=323