Going to see MP tomorrow about Times articles this week, what do I ask?

Pancakestastelikecrepe That's a really important perspective.
Good luck
Ive watched Victoria Atkins & have been quite impressed by her focus on the details, (much more so than Maria Miller & Penny Mordant)

@R0wantrees I work in FE/HE so I'll hopefully be able to give her some valid insight, based on my experiences and witnessing of ROGN amongst students

Victoria Atkins MP & Tim Loughton MP on need for caution/inquiry into numbers of children seeking medical intervention:

Telegraph August 2018 by Camilla Turner, education editor Steven Swinford, deputy political editor

'Transgender activists accused of attempting to shut down debate'
(extract)
"Transgender activists have been accused of attempting to shut down debate, as a former children’s minister said that young people’s welfare is being “sacrificed on the altar of political correctness”.

The women’s minister is facing a backlash after saying that she is “a little cautious” about the number of teenagers undergoing gender reassignment treatment.

Victoria Atkins warned the country needs to be “particularly alert” to the issue, and expressed concern that a rising number of teenagers were seeking “life-changing” medical interventions.

LGBT+ campaigners accused her making "damaging" comments and warned that people's "lives are at stake".

Tim Loughton, a Tory MP and former children’s minister, said that Ms Atkins is “absolutely right” to be cautious about children “rushing” to change their genders." (continues)

“My concern is that those who have a political agenda seem to want to sacrifice the welfare of children on the altar of political correctness and equalities whereas every child needs to be respected and supported in their own right. This is about individuals, not other people’s agendas.” (continues)

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/08/27/transgender-activists-accused-attempting-shut-downdebate/

suferjets how frustrating!

Are you able to go in two weeks?

@R0wantrees Brilliant, thanks!

November 2018 James Kirkup Spectator

'This MP has summed up everything wrong with the transgender debate'
(extract)
"First, Victoria Atkins, the minister for women and equalities at the Home Office is a good thing, and someone surely heading for more senior ministerial office in due course. Ministerial responses to Westminster Hall debates are often boilerplate bromides written by officials and recited unthinkingly by the minister concerned. Atkins’ contribution was a lot better than that, and strongly suggests a minister who has taken the time to think critically about the issues (and actors) in an area where critical thinking has been painfully lacking.

Again, I don’t endorse everything Atkins said (I think she’s a tiny bit blasé about how effectively the Equality Act 2010’s single-sex exemptions are being implemented in everyday practice) but her general approach and tone were the right: it’s a complicated, contentious issue where loud voices on the extremes have drowned out and sometimes silenced legitimate questions.

Here are two eminently reasonable Atkins quotes that should be utterly uncontroversial but which are, in this context, refreshingly bold:

‘People are sometimes almost too scared to talk about things, which is not right. We do not want a climate of fear in the debate. We want people to be able to express their views respectfully and in a caring and careful manner, so that we ensure that questions are flushed out and answered.’

And:

‘I get asked about this issue regularly, and we all share a sense of sadness about the fact that this important debate sometimes gets taken over by loud and sometimes aggressive campaigning by activists. I am sure they hold their beliefs very strongly, but they perhaps lose sight of the fact that we have to be able to talk about this issue in a reasoned, respectful and caring fashion. The vast majority of the public—and, I am sure, parliamentarians—are in the middle. We want to talk about this issue in a caring and careful way so society gets to a position in which we are all comfortable with the consequences of the changes to legislation and so on.’ (continues)

blogs.spectator.co.uk/2018/11/this-mp-has-summed-up-everything-wrong-with-the-transgender-debate/

The MP rightly criticised by James Kirkup was Layla Moran (Lib Dem) for her her claim about relying on 'seeing into people's souls' rather than recognising sex-based risks & realities during the Westminster Hall debate on gender self-id.

threads:
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3431013-James-Kirkup-being-fab-again

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3425914-Westminster-GRA-debate-Wednesday-21st-Nov

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3429969-Watch-live-Government-debate-on-self-ID

This thread has motivated me to contact my MP, Victoria Atkins. I believe she once commented on the GRA reforms, am I correct?

Victoria Atkins has made key public comments about the need for an inquiry into the numbers of children being referred to Tavistock GIDs & also about the issues of housing males in female prison estate (following assault by Karen White of 4 vulnerable women prisoners)

She is the minister for women within the Women & Equality Department and a really good MP to approach.

You are Pancakestastelikecrepe:

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6105259/Transgender-activists-quick-stifle-debate-says-ex-childrens-minister.html

Hi, I'm a longtime lurker. This thread has motivated me to contact my MP, Victoria Atkins. I believe she once commented on the GRA reforms, am I correct?

This is a good article for MPs to be left with

Its an accurate summary of issues with Police actions being driven by TRAs/lobbyists & pulls together many of the most significant cases:
Uncommon Ground
'Meet the Experts Training Police in the UK on Trans Issues'
April 12, 2019 by Elsa Egret
(extract)
Why are police intervening to tell the public what we are permitted to think while those paid to influence the police threaten women with impunity?
Caroline Farrow, Andy Healey, Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull, Graham Linehan, Dr Julia Long, Harry Miller, Maggie Nelson, Kate Scottow, Miranda Yardley.

Various police forces in England have decided that the separate actions of these eight women and men required responses including an early morning phone call, a knock on the door, an interview at the station, a harassment warning, physical removal from an event, hours of detainment without sanitary protection, confiscation of personal property, referral to the CPS.

What were they all up to? What crimes had they committed? The grievous offence of disagreeing with transgender ideology: on Twitter, on personal blogs, and, in the case of Long, on a chair. (Long was at an Accenture event billed as being ‘for everyone’ and was physically removed by seven City of London police officers for, presumably, her thoughts, as she had not caused any disruption)." (continues)
uncommongroundmedia.com/police-uk-trans-issues/

MPs should be encouraged to look into these cases as a priority & be warned that they should do due dilligence.

Guess it twas the 7s I was remembering!

I think 177,000 is huge - I do know the number of visits to the whole MN site is bigger but I think this is one of the busiest boards.

Was not ‘twas - not aiming for Victorian poem mode

This thread suggested the number of visitors twas 177k a month:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3302495-This-is-how-traffic-to-the-feminism-board-has-increased

Adding my good luck wishes - think your plan of action sounds great.

Delurking to wish you luck today. I hope your MP listens.

Maybe a DM article too? Tories fear the DM because its readership = their voters.

The one thing I'd avoid is anything that looks like sophisticated or complex arguments.

I'd go for stuff that leaps out, that the MP can instantly grasp, and then repeat to other MPs.

I would print out some of the more striking articles from The Times on actual paper, highlight parts that provoke thought, and hand them over. Tell the MP you'll follow up by sending the text of the articles, similarly highlighted, by email. (If you look on threads here you can find share links.)

Less is more. If you try to cover too much you'll be lucky if the MP doesn't glaze over and end up taking in nothing. 3 or 4 items. "Reliable" sources like The Times. Self-evident stuff that illustrates how "being nice" goes "against common sense", for example Karen White as an intact male-bodied rapist being in a women's prison and what happened next. If you talk about this, you could ask whether the next step is to prevent the next KW, or to continue to put rapists' feelings over women's safety.

MPs care about votes, so ask him to look at the readers' comments about trans articles on the Times & DM websites . The vast majority are supportive of trans people's human rights, but vehemently opposed to self-ID and strongly in favour of women being allowed sex-segregated facilities, sports etc.
You could also remind him that, in Pink News' survey last year, only 13% of Tory voters supported the Tories' proposed changes to the GRC - www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/07/03/exclusive-just-13-of-tory-voters-agree-with-governments-proposed-transgender-policy/

Place-marking for the ideas, incase anyone knocks on my door.

Thanks for starting the thread surferjest and good luck tomorrow.

I expect all MPs are relieved as they only found out yesterday that they were getting an Easter break, due to Brexit. So hopefully he will be in a good mood!

Ah Hearwegoagain, such a good idea from you too! I shall incorporate your party specific questions into my template

That is such a good idea, MrsSnippy. I was musing about setting up separate threads with issues to talk to each of the main parties about. Eg, if you are going to see a Conservative, talk about asking Penny M to chase up the ROGD review, or her starting point that TWAW for the GRA consultation. If Labour, talk about all women shortlists. If Lib Dem, talk about Aimee Challener, Layla Moran, etc.