Self-care note: This wrap-up includes discussion of anti-LGBTQIA+ policies and behaviours, gender based violence, and more. If you find this distressing or triggering, remember to take it at your own pace. You may prefer to read small sections, wait until you feel ready to read it all, or choose not to read it at all.
1. Sexual crimes in Scotland reach highest level in decades 🚨
Reported sexual crimes in Scotland have reached their highest level since 1971, with 3,229 rapes and attempted rapes recorded in the past year alongside 5,222 sexual assaults.
Women accounted for around 95 per cent of reported rape and attempted rape victims and 87 per cent of sexual assault victims. Police Scotland says officers are dealing with around 200 cases of violence against women and girls every day.
Women interviewed by STV News described harassment, unwanted touching and fears about travelling alone as increasingly routine parts of everyday life. Support services have also warned that rising demand could leave survivors struggling to access help, with Glasgow & Clyde Rape Crisis saying services are finding it difficult to keep pace.
Source: STV News
2. Isle of Bute woman ordered to pay compensation over transphobic messages ⚖️
A 67-year-old woman from the Isle of Bute has been ordered to pay £500 in compensation after admitting to sending a series of offensive and transphobic social media messages to another woman.
Greenock Sheriff Court heard that the messages, sent over several weeks, concerned the recipient’s gender and were intended to cause distress. The offence was aggravated by prejudice relating to transgender identity.
Sheriff James Varney described the comments as “horrific” and told the woman that she had pleaded guilty to a hate crime. She was also given an 18-month non-harassment order banning her from contacting the recipient.
Source: The National
3. Glasgow rape crisis centre refuses donation from far-right group 🚫
Glasgow & Clyde Rape Crisis has refused a donation from Scottish Citizen Army after raising concerns about messages associated with the group linking sexual violence to immigration.
The centre said it has to exercise careful judgement over fundraising and partnerships in order to maintain the trust of all survivors who may need its services, regardless of their nationality, background or immigration status.
Scottish Citizen Army disputed the characterisation of the group and said it supports a “fair and lawful immigration system”. It criticised the decision to reject the fundraiser, while saying supporters should continue donating to the rape crisis centre.
Source: The National
4. Quakers confirm their commitment to trans inclusion 🏳️⚧️
Quakers in Britain have updated their policy setting out the rules on facilities across their buildings.
The update comes in response to the Supreme Court judgment in For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers and subsequent updates to Equality and Human Rights Commission guidance. It reaffirms the inclusion of trans and non-binary people in Quaker communities.
The religious group explained that this means that toilet facilities labelled with a ‘female’ sign remain available to cisgender and transgender women, as well as anyone who feels those facilities best represent their identity.
Self-contained, single-sex facilities are also available.
Source: Quakers in Britain
5. Home Office criticised over consent guidance for asylum seekers 📘
The UK Home Office has published a nine-page guide for asylum seekers explaining laws and social expectations around sexual consent, harassment and gender equality.
The guidance tells people that consent cannot be assumed within relationships, warns against behaviours including unwanted sexual comments and following someone, and states that women have the right to make their own decisions and earn their own money.
The move has drawn criticism from across the political spectrum. Green peer Jenny Jones said singling out asylum seekers risks reinforcing “right-wing tropes” about migrants, arguing that consent education should instead be universal. The government defended the guidance, saying people arriving in the UK should be clearly informed about its laws and societal expectations.
Source: HuffPost UK
6. First permanent LGBTQIA+ exhibition opens in Ireland 🏳️🌈
On Tuesday, Cork Public Museum opened the first permanent LGBTQIA+ exhibition in Ireland.
Developed in partnership with the Cork LGBT Archive, the exhibition is called “We Were Always Here – Cork LGBT History” and marks the 50th anniversary of the opening of the first gay centre in Cork, while celebrating the history of the community.
The exhibition includes original documents, objects and personal belongings.
Orla Egan, curator of the LGBT archive, said the exhibition will be “a shining beacon of inclusion”.
Source: Irish Independent
7. France recalls 260,000 condoms over safety concerns ⚠️
French health and anti-fraud authorities have ordered the recall of around 260,000 condoms after testing found some products could burst or contain perforations.
Around 40,000 of the affected condoms had already been sold, mostly online through major marketplaces. Authorities said the products lacked required European CE safety markings and warned that defects could increase the risk of sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies.
People who have used the recalled condoms have been advised to consider STI testing and, where relevant, a pregnancy test. Online sellers have also been asked to remove the affected products from sale.
Source: DW
8. Teen boys using smart glasses to film and harass girls at school 👓
Teenage boys are using smart glasses to secretly record classmates and teachers in US schools, with an investigation by Futurism finding numerous videos involving harassment and bullying directed at girls.
Many of the clips, filmed using devices including Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, show girls being followed, repeatedly approached or mocked despite asking to be left alone. Some recordings were then uploaded to TikTok and Instagram, potentially exposing those filmed to further humiliation online.
Privacy experts have raised concerns about the use of discreet recording devices in classrooms, while some US school districts have begun banning smart glasses. Meta and TikTok removed several videos flagged by Futurism and Meta said its glasses include a visible recording light designed to alert people when filming is taking place.
Source: Futurism
