There is a rot in our culture – a rot that disguises itself in uniforms, flags, and “protect women” slogans. That rot is misogyny – and it has no problem walking hand-in-hand with transphobia and far-right nationalism when it serves the purpose of controlling women’s bodies and silencing survivors.
A guilty verdict — and a survivor’s courage
Irish firefighter Terence Crosbie was found guilty of rape in Boston last week, after a gruelling second trial. His victim, a 29-year-old attorney, stood twice before a court and told the truth of what happened to her in a hotel room at the Omni Parker House in March 2024.
She testified how she woke up to find a man inside her, how he told her she “wanted it,” and how she left that room and went straight to hospital. Her courage is staggering. Her strength – immeasurable.
As the prosecution said after the verdict:
“We can’t thank her enough for her courage, her strength, and her fortitude… She had to go through this twice… She should be applauded for that.”
The court heard how Crosbie changed his flight, tried to flee the country, and was arrested at Logan Airport before he could leave. The jury saw through his excuses and convicted him.
This was justice hard-won – not because the evidence was lacking, but because misogyny in the courtroom and in society still places the burden of proof on the woman who was harmed.
A culture of contempt
This is not one bad apple. Crosbie’s history of vile, misogynistic, and transphobic social media posts shows exactly the kind of man he is. In one post, he joked about “6ft blondes” in Stockholm, calling it “the most unreported rape capital of Europe.”
A man laughing about rape, and then convicted of rape – the mask slipped long before the verdict.
But the most chilling part is the support he received. A GoFundMe campaign, originally titled “Dublin Fire Brigade Fundraiser for Terence Crosbie”, was set up to fund his legal defence. It was only after public outrage, and pressure from Dublin Fire Brigade distancing themselves, that the name was changed and the fundraiser quietly removed.
Some of the same far-right men who rail against trans women and queer people online were among those sharing, defending, and amplifying his cause. The same men who decry “men in women’s spaces” were defending a man convicted of raping a woman in hers.
That is the purest form of hypocrisy.. and it tells you everything about what their so-called “protect women” movement really stands for. It’s not about women’s safety. It’s about control. It’s about preserving male dominance under the disguise of moral panic.
Far-right misogyny and transphobia: two faces of the same coin
These movements — from anti-trans hate groups to right-wing culture warriors — are united by a shared hatred of bodily autonomy. They police who gets to be called a woman, who is allowed dignity, and who is believed when they speak out.
They’ve thrown their support behind men like Conor McGregor, whose own violent and misogynistic record is no secret, and yet claim to be defending Irish values. It’s the same story over and over – powerful men excused, protected, platformed, while victims and survivors are doubted, shamed, or ignored.
To those of us in ROSA, and to every survivor who has ever been told to stay quiet, this case is a stark reminder:
We are moving backwards – away from believing victims, away from accountability, and towards a culture that excuses rape so long as it’s done by the “right kind” of man.
Believing women is radical now
Crosbie’s victim endured two trials. She faced cross-examination, the usual insinuations, the invasive dissection of her private life, and still, she stood her ground.
When the verdict finally came, she was not only vindicated, she was believed.
That’s not how it should be. It shouldn’t take two years, two trials, and an international media circus for a woman’s word to matter.
Assistant District Attorney Erin Murphy put it best:
“The jury was able to discount the frankly misogynistic attitudes that can lead to jury nullification, that can lead jurors to excuse men for the harm they inflict on women.”
That misogyny isn’t just in Boston courtrooms. It’s in Irish politics. It’s in our Gardaí. It’s in our fire brigades. It’s in our media. It’s in every whisper that says “what was she wearing?” or “maybe she misunderstood.”
Every time someone doubts a survivor, the Terence Crosbies of the world breathe easier.
Solidarity and rage
We stand in solidarity with the survivor. We stand with every woman who has been dismissed, doubted, or destroyed by a system built to protect abusers.
And we name the problem plainly: toxic masculinity, misogyny, and transphobia are connected. The same ideology that denies trans women their womanhood is the one that excuses cis men’s violence. It’s all patriarchy – just dressed in different uniforms.
We believe her. We fight for all of us.
To the woman who took that stand, who sat through every question, who faced her attacker in court twice:
You are not alone. Your bravery will echo far beyond that courtroom.
ROSA will continue to fight, for survivors, for trans women, for intersex people, for every person whose safety is politicised and whose truth is doubted.
We believe her.
We will always believe her.
And we will not stop until every survivor sees justice, and every violent man sees consequence.
Sorcha Ní Fhaoláin (She/Her)
ROSA | Intersex Ireland | Simply Sorcha