Unsafe Havens: The Consequences of Allowing Men Into Women’s Shelters
The Topic That Got Me Suspended From Medium for "Hateful Content"
In the feminist quest to secure safety, privacy, and dignity for vulnerable women and their children, women's shelters have long stood as sanctuaries against the harsh realities of domestic violence. However, recent shifts in policy, as dictated by federal mandates and swayed by gender identity ideology, have ushered in an era where men are allowed into these sanctuaries, fundamentally altering the integrity of these safe spaces.
Consider the recent case of Michell Silva Perez in Greenville, South Carolina, a transgender-identified man housed in a women’s shelter. Upon being evicted from the shelter, Perez assaulted a female employee of the shelter, proceeded to brandish a sword, and then disemboweled the woman. Even more alarmingly, this shelter was run by a Christian non-profit and the women’s shelter was specifically dedicated to housing women and mothers with young children. This incident provides profound confirmation that the safety of women and children is compromised when shelter policies prioritize self-identified gender over biological sex.
Research conducted by Women’s Declaration International USA, reveals a distressing trend: out of 23 domestic violence shelters surveyed, 19 allow men who identify as women to share living spaces with vulnerable women and children. The study highlights that these policies are often influenced by federal funding requirements and a pervasive acceptance of gender identity ideology, which places the comfort of these men over the safety of women.
These policies are a stark departure from the original intent of women’s shelters. Established as refuges exclusively for females, these shelters are meant to offer protection from male violence—a statistically significant threat as indicated by the report, which states that 79% of violent incidents are committed by males. By allowing men into women and children’s spaces, regardless of their self-identified gender, shelters are inadvertently increasing the potential for psychological and physical harm to the very individuals they aim to protect.
The anecdotal evidence from shelter personnel, in the report, suggests a troubling disconnect between policy and practice. Many employees feel compelled to adopt the metaphysical ideology, even if it conflicts with their understanding of safety and the purpose of the women’s shelter.
It is imperative that these policies be reevaluated through a common-sense lens, emphasizing the need to prioritize the safety and well-being of women and children in shelters meant for their protection. The federal mandates requiring shelters to accommodate men based on gender self-identification not only threaten the physical security of female and youth residents but also their psychological well-being, as they are forced to share intimate spaces with men who retain male-pattern violent tendencies.
The core mission of women’s shelters must be reaffirmed and protected. It is a moral imperative to maintain separate accommodations for male and female residents, irrespective of gender identity, to ensure that the sanctity and safety of these shelters are not compromised. Women’s shelters were established to offer a safe haven exclusively for females and their young children. The push for gender self-identification dilutes women’s sex-based rights to safety, privacy, and dignity. These policies need a thorough reevaluation that centers the psychological and physical impacts on children and female residents/employees and ensures that the primary duty to protect women and children is not forsaken.
Kirby, the woman attacked by Perez in the incident at the Greenville women’s shelter, has a Gofundme set up, please give if you can! She has a long recovery ahead. Kirby's Gofundme!