A biological male has been appointed the new CEO of a rape crisis centre in Edinburgh. He claims to identify as a woman.

The Facebook announcement celebrated the appointment:

“Today, we are absolutely thrilled that Mridul Wadhwa has joined ERCC as our new CEO. She comes to us from FVRCC, having previously worked for RapeCrisis Scotland and Shakti Women's Aid.

“A passionate campaigner & advocate for all women, including trans & BME women, she joins us at an exciting time, as we seek to increase support for survivors of all forms of gender-based violence.”

The backlash has been swift and fierce. Hundreds of comments on the post indicate a very high level of disbelief and distress over the announcement.

Tino Carracci wrote, “Who is thrilled, exactly? Probably not the traumatized women, victims of men, that pass through your doors. This is actually one of the most disturbing things I’ve ever seen, and I’ve seen a lot. Sick, seriously.”

Abigail Elizabeth Rowland posted, “As a child victim of rape and extreme male violence I am appalled by this. My life has been so scarred by what happened to me fifty years ago that the only way I have been able to makes sense of it has been by speaking out about my experiences and hoping and believing that women and girls are better served now than they were then. But this is not the case, is it? There is cause for shame here and I sincerely hope you are made to feel the full force of women's righteous anger.”

Fiona Tresidder said, “The magic of male feelings and beliefs to change material reality is amazing! We should all accept that if a male identifies as a good guy he definitely is. Because people are always honest and everyones self perception is always more accurate than objective reality.”

Twitter user Jennifer (@baby Beginner) summed up the situation perfectly, “The question is very simple:  do women have a right to exclude men from their bodies and their spaces? Rape is a crime of forced inclusivity.  Do you believe women have a right to exclude men or not?  If you don’t, you have NO business being a rape shelter.”

Many on the threads claim Mridul Wadhwa does not even have a Gender Recognition Certificate and lied about it when asked.

Kirralie Smith, spokeswoman for Binary, said the decision was appalling.

“This decision is disappointing and disrespectful on so many levels. Women who have suffered violence and sexual abuse by males deserve protection and respect. They deserve a safe place for healing and security. Appointing and celebrating a biological male who impersonates being a woman in such a position for political point scoring with the woke brigade is appalling. Surely there is a more than capable woman who could do the job?”