COMMENT from RAPE RELIEF and APC SUPPORTER

Oldtown News
Vancouver, BC

Hi All

I received this post below from Tamara of Strathcona who chastises me about my position on Rape Relief who targeted transformed female, Kimberley Nixon for human rights abuses. I've moderated through the comment from Tamara as a new blog posting to show how some people who define themselves as progressive can in actual fact, support haters.

Tamara from Strathcona is particularly obscene as she promotes Rape Relief as an equality seeking organization. If this is the case, why did they see fit to discriminate against an individual who underwent medically necessary sex change surgery? Rape Relief denied Ms Nixon the opportunity to be a peer counsellor, because she had been born with the wrong genetalia. If that isn't discriminatory I don't know what is.

Let me be very clear here, any time an organization discriminates, victimizes or promotes injustice or hatred, they cannot claim to be an equality or justice seeking group.

Tamara in her hyperbole states Ms Nixon was viewed with empathy by Rape Relief. This is complete nonsense and an outright lie. Rape Relief singled out Kim Nixon, a beautiful woman with a gentle spirit for inexcusable attack. Their leadership, including Lee Lakeman, numerous times in the media referred to Kim Nixon as a Man and continually used the pronoun 'He' when describing Ms Nixon.

In the eyes of the law, Ms Nixon is a female. End of story.

Tamara, an APC sympathizer goes on to say that the courts agreed with Rape Relief. That may be so, however, there is another court and that is one of public opinion. Rape Relief comes out on the losing side because the court of public opinion clearly supports the rights of individuals to have gender reassignment surgery as a result of medical necessity. And the Human rights code clearly states no one should be discriminated against because of sex or social condition. Yet Rape Relief did deny Ms Nixon the right to be a Peer Counsellor and therefore did discriminate based on her social condition and on sex.

Tamara of Strathcona just doesn't get it. While the Pickton carnage was a result of hatred of women and sex workers, the same hatred is displayed by the Rape Relief organization who chose to single out Ms Nixon for their disgust, intolerance, hatred and victimization.

While Ms Nixon didn't have her life wiped out, like the Pickton farm victims, the same Violence and Hatred displayed toward Ms Nixon by Rape Relief isn't any different than the Hatred and Violence directed toward the many Sex Trade Workers who came to meet their end at the Port Coquitlam farm. Ms Nixon like them, was also a victim.

What Rape Relief did to Ms Nixon was traumatizing and victimizing. No doubt, Ms Nixon will have the battle scars for a lifetime to prove it--JLH



TAMARA POST


Hi Jamie, I got to your site because I was googling the Raymur Mothers and since you mentioned them in your site, voila! I read your analysis of the APC with interest and also PIVOT. I would never quote a cop, personally, regarding matters of protest, particularly since every non-violent protest I have ever been on has become 'violent' because of the cops...Anyway, I am pretty sure that APC tactics are not always thought out (partiuclarly individuals acting in APC's name) and that leads to undermining of their work, particularly in relation to the people in our neighbourhood. I no longer attend their events myself, but I am glad someone is willing to be a bit cheeky in this town. Even if they are occasionally wrong headed. So I go off to check out your other posts and I check out the IWD one. And then, you just jumped the shark Jamie. Placing Rape Relief and Picton in the same paragraph is the utmost of insults and hyperbole, to say the least. You, out of most people in this city probably know the facts of the case almost as well as Kimberly. It just isn't okay that this kind of myth creating and attack goes on. Equating the Rape Relief collective with Robert Picton is just not on, and makes me lose all respect. Really. It has to stop somewhere Jamie. Why are you so invested in perpetuating this sort of misinformation? One five minute conversation where the facts were asked for and policy described is not a personal attack, nor is it against the law. It is not even close to hate or bigotry as the other poster espouses. Even the original Human Rights Decision acknowledged the main event here was hurt feelings. There was no discrimination, there was no bigotry, there was no hate. Every court which has heard this case concurs. I encourage everyone who thinks they have an interest in this case to read the materials publicly available and you will see this is true. Kimberly and Barbara Findlay chose to extend the fight for so long - Rape Relief offered compensation much before this hit the courts, and has been nothing but respectful of Kimberly in court and in public, including in the media. I want a vibrant movement for women, where we can continue to gather together to end violence against women and racism and every other sort of oppression. There is much work to do. Can we please just get on with it?~Tamara Strathcona