A former collegemate of the trans-identified rapist at the center of Scotland’s prison self-identification policy debate has come forward, revealing that he had once attempted to garner peer support in an LGBTQIA+ group by complaining of police “transphobia” while ostensibly being investigated for rape.
Adam Graham, also known as Isla Bryson, sparked international backlash last week after it was initially reported that he would be held in the all-female Cornton Vale prison ahead of sentencing. Graham had been convicted of sexually assaulting two women with what court documents described as “her penis.”
Following concern from around the world, Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon walked back the decision and announced an urgent review of the policies surrounding the housing of transgender inmates despite her strong support for self-identification policies. Scotland’s parliament had previously struck down an amendment to the recent Gender Recognition Reform Bill which would have prevented convicted sex offenders from changing their legal sex marker.
Though the decision to house Graham in the female estate was reversed, just days later outrage was renewed after it was reported that one of Scotland’s most violent inmates had been green-lit for transfer to a women’s prison. The Scottish Prison Services have since paused all movement of transgender male inmates “with a history of violence towards women” until the review is completed.
In wake of continuing controversy, a former college classmate of Adam Graham’s has come forward to share her insight into the dangerous predator.
Sharyn Muir, who attended Ayrshire College with Graham in 2021, told Reduxx that when she first heard of a trans-identified double rapist with the last name ‘Bryson,’ she couldn’t believe it was the same person. Muir says that while attending the College, Graham had gone by the name Annie Bryson.
“At first I was like ‘no that can’t be the same person,’ Muir says, continuing that it was only after she read news reports that she realized Bryson had indeed been her collegemate.
Though attending the College on separate campuses, Graham and Muir had both joined the college’s LGBTQIA+ and allies group in 2021, which all three campuses took part in remotely via Microsoft Teams. Graham reportedly “never” turned his camera on during the meetings.
Muir tells Reduxx that in one session, Graham complained that he had been “mistreated” by police, alleging that they were “transphobic” and had used incorrect pronouns to address him.
Though Muir was unaware of why Graham had been interacting with the police at the time, she responded to him that she believed not all police were transphobic. Muir recalls having felt sympathetic towards Graham, assuming he was someone who was genuinely struggling with their identity.
After the exchange, Graham posted a series of messages on Microsoft Teams asserting that he had been “undervalued” because someone had questioned his opinion on police.
“When I was talking about the police last night,” Graham wrote in one of the messages, “how they missed treated [sic] me twice and someone said the police not all are bad that’s there [sic] opinion that person might have a good time dealing with the police I certainly haven’t when the police put on there [sic] uniform they they [sic] think they are the top of the law that they can treat anyone the way they do.”
Graham never clarified the exact reasons why he had been talking to the police, but Muir told Reduxx, “I suspect the two times he encountered the police was when he was done for the two rape cases.” She added: “[He] basically twisted it to be the victim.”
But Graham had complaints about the college as well, claiming that he had been “misgendered” at school and that he went to the press because the teachers had not taken the incident seriously.
He also posted about an incident where he “snapped” at a female classmate who was allegedly being “homophobic,” and gloated that she had “walked out with fake tears cause I pulled her up about it.”
According to Muir, Graham was eventually dismissed from the LGBTQIA+ group due to inappropriate behavior, which included using explicit language. This was not allowed as the group had included some minors. Muir eventually left the group as well due to a “toxic atmosphere.”
Muir posted a statement to Twitter that she had penned in 2021 after leaving the group, telling Reduxx that she was “sickened” when she re-read her statement, now knowing what crimes he has been convicted of.
“I sympathized with who I thought was someone going through a difficult time and transitioning,” Muir says.
Muir only had online interactions with Graham, as they attended different campuses. However, she found the courage to come forward with her story after another student, Rachel Ferguson, 21, spoke to The Daily Record about her own experience with Graham at Ayrshire College.
Ferguson told The Daily Record that she and her classmates got naked for spray tan sessions in front of Bryson, not knowing about his charges.
“It really scares me to look back and realise she was watching me with no clothes on after being charged with this,” Ferguson said. “It makes me feel physically sick and violated. We should have known about these charges. It’s not right that we didn’t know.”
Students who attended Kilwinning Campus described Graham as “disruptive” and noted that he frequently branded other classmates as homophobic. He was eventually asked to leave the course.
“We had all kinds of accusations thrown at us in the middle of the classroom,” Ferguson said. “I was being verbally attacked. She went to the head of the department and said we were all discriminating against her and were homophobic. I was really offended and hurt by that and didn’t go to college for three weeks because I was scared of the way she was coming at me.”
She added that Graham made two of the lecturers cry.
The college confirmed that Graham was enrolled for a three-month period in 2021 and said it was unaware of the allegations against him.
After reading Ferguson’s account, Muir felt that she had to speak up as well.
“Anger has gone through me that I felt sorry for someone who fabricated an identity but turned out to be a double rapist,” she told Reduxx. “This incident just shows the Self-ID Bill by the Scottish government (Scottish National Party and Green Party coalition) is a safeguarding issue.”
She added: “This incident has also for the first time made me feel scared as a woman in Scotland.”
Reduxx is your source of pro-woman, pro-child safeguarding news and commentary. We’re 100% independent! Support our mission by joining our Patreon, or consider making a one-time donation.
