Brighton-based Survivors’ Network launches trans-exclusive support group following legal settlement
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The Survivors’ Network, the Brighton-based sexual assault charity, has announced the creation of a new peer support group exclusively for cisgender women, following a legal settlement with a former service user.
The decision comes after a legal challenge brought by a woman known publicly as Sarah Surviving, who claimed the charity’s trans-inclusive policy made her feel unsafe and unable to fully engage in recovery. Sarah, a survivor of childhood sexual abuse and adult rape, argued that the presence of a trans woman in a women-only support group triggered trauma responses linked to her experiences.
The case, originally set to go to trial in September, was resolved out of court. In a joint statement released on 28 July, the charity and Sarah confirmed that a new group would be launched specifically for “biological women who identify as women and biological women who do not have a gender identity”.
This move follows a UK Supreme Court ruling earlier this year which clarified that the legal definition of “woman” in the context of single-sex services refers to biological sex, not gender identity. The ruling has had wide-reaching implications, influencing policies across universities, sports organisations, and law enforcement.
The new group will run alongside the charity’s existing services, which remain open to trans and non-binary individuals. Survivors’ Network, which has been trans-inclusive since its founding in 1990, stated: “We continue to offer support to trans, non-binary and/or intersex people and our existing groups remain unchanged”.
Trans women are women, and they deserve access to survivor services without discrimination.
The pilot scheme for the cisgender-only group will be funded by the Office of the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner and is expected to run for 12 months.
The decision has sparked backlash from trans rights advocates, who argue that the move undermines inclusive support for all survivors of sexual violence. A spokesperson for TransActual UK said: “This is a deeply disappointing development.
"Trans women are women, and they deserve access to survivor services without discrimination. Creating separate spaces sends a harmful message that trans survivors are less deserving of empathy and care.”
Despite criticism, the charity’s leadership maintains that the new provision is about expanding choice and recognising diverse needs among survivors. “We understand for some biological women such a space is imperative for their healing and acknowledges their trauma,” said co-chairs Beca Davison and Sara Jones.
