This is not something I publicly share. Not because I am embarrassed but because it’s the past and I have moved on. When I was in the 8th grade (age 13) I was sexually assaulted.

It was by another student, he was just a year older. I was not raped but the experience was fairly traumatic. Even now I don’t like to think about it.

When it had to be reported there was never any question that I would speak to a woman police officer and a woman counsellor.

During that very confusing and quite frankly humiliating time, I don’t know how I would have felt if it was determined that I speak to anyone about this but a biological woman. I think it would have made me reluctant to speak.

This is NOT transphobic. This is about the trauma of sexual assault on a woman (girl). It’s not a time when we even question whether or not sex or gender is a factor. It’s a time when we respect the feelings of the abused.

There are women and girls who have been through far worse than my experience. I really don’t believe that we should be made to feel guilty about requiring a biological woman at such a vulnerable time.

The fact that in 2020, women have to be apologetic about how they feel when they have just been assaulted or raped fills me with not just rage, but sadness.

Amend the damn Bill @scotgov. Don’t put women in a position where they have to fight for something so incredibly cruel towards an abused and vulnerable woman.