Beira's Place, a women-only rape support center founded by author J.K. Rowling, has publicly responded to Amnesty International's characterization of the organization as "anti-rights," calling the accusation "deeply offensive."
Amnesty International was reportedly forced to remove its report, "A Growing Threat: The Anti-Rights Movement in the UK," following backlash. The report had included Beira's Place among over 100 organizations it claimed were working against the rights of LGBT+ people.
Lesley Johnston, chief executive of Beira's Place, stated that the inclusion of the center in the report was "inexplicable." She emphasized that 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," Johnston said.
She further described the "anti-rights" label as deeply offensive to the staff and the women who utilize the service. Beira's Place provides support exclusively to biological women who have experienced sexual violence.
The center was founded by Rowling in response to controversies surrounding the Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre. Rowling stated at the time that a need existed for a women-only service for victims of sexual violence.
Amnesty's report had detailed a perceived significant decline in LGBT+ rights across the UK and listed numerous organizations, including Beira's Place, For Women Scotland, Murray Blackburn Mackenzie, LGB Alliance, and Labour Women's Declaration, as "anti-rights."
Following widespread criticism, Amnesty removed the report from its website pending an internal review. A spokesperson for Amnesty stated that the briefing was uploaded without the established internal review processes and that its language did not reflect the organization's official position. Amnesty has not issued an apology for naming Beira's Place.