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AIBU?

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Original poster

that part of the funds from the tampon tax are going to an anti abortion group.

169 replies

HelenaDove · 02/04/2017 00:06

A quarter of a million pounds to Life.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/apr/01/tampon-tax-anti-abortion-group-anger?CMP=twt_gu

OP posts:
PencilsInSpace · 02/04/2017 09:25

I am so fucking angry about this. I want to know who made this decision and I want them held to account Angry

AgentProvocateur · 02/04/2017 09:36

I'm furious about this and will be emailing my MP. Angry

TimeforANewTwatName · 02/04/2017 10:34

Who says women under 30 shouldn't have babies?

I'm pro choice, that includes supporting teens and others in difficult positions because they chose to have baby.

ollieplimsoles · 02/04/2017 10:40

But surely there are women who support this organisation who use tampons so are happy for their share of the tax to be used for this purpose. Im sure other parts of the tax are used too support areas they may have difficulty with..

Like which areas exactly? Gay rights?

BillSykesDog · 02/04/2017 10:56

It's abusive! If an individual said 'I'll put a roof over your head but only if you don't abort that pregnancy - regardless it was the result of rape/baby is severely disabled/puts your life or health at risk' they would rightly be accused of emotional blackmail/financial abuse. It's no different a 'charity' doing the same.

But that's what all social housing does. Women (and men) become a priority for housing when they have children/are pregnant because the child has priority. Without that they lose priority unless they have health problems or disabilities. LIFE aren't doing anything that every other housing agency doesn't do.

They can't force people to have abortions either. I can't really see why offering support to access the choice of having a baby is so wrong unless what we really mean by 'pro choice' is 'pro choice I approve of which is an abortion'.

I'm much more concerned about vigils for lent currently taking place outside abortion clinics up and down the country which seek to stop abortion by intimidation than I am about a charity offering paractical support to homeless pregnant women.

Graphista · 02/04/2017 11:54

Billsykesdog have you seen their website? Researched them in any way?

Social housing people don't pressurise women to keep unwanted pregnancies. They don't campaign against abortion. They have no agenda either way.

Life -

Campaign against ivf, only offer fertility support to married couples, campaign against 3 parent babies, campaign against amnesty's attempts to get abortion available in Ireland, has a campaign running against victims of dv having abortions (therefore tying them to their abusers for life!)

Call pro-choice advocates and campaigners 'pro-abortionists'

They don't join protests themselves BUT they do support protestors and think the 'back off' campaign - which wants to stop protests happening right outside clinics and particularly the harassment of women visiting them, the displaying of graphic emotive images, the pushing of anti-abortion publications - is wrong.

Graphista · 02/04/2017 11:55

"I'm much more concerned about vigils for lent currently taking place outside abortion clinics up and down the country which seek to stop abortion by intimidation"

Life are publicly, in the media and by political lobbying supporting the very people that do this.

SignoraStronza · 02/04/2017 11:56

Horrified by this. Have emailed my local MP. When I signed a petition asking him to support the Abortion (Decriminalisation) Bill, he wrote to tell me that he'd voted in favour of it and said:

'I firmly believe in a woman's right to choose what happens to her own body. The fact that a woman can currently be prosecuted for exercising that right is unacceptable. I hope to see the Bill progress further and will continue to support it.'

Let's hope he continues to take the same stance and raises this issue in parliament. I doubt hold our much hope though, as he's a newly elected career politician, whose voting record is pretty much 100% toeing the party line.

Have also shared on FB.

grannytomine · 02/04/2017 12:05

To be honest the other side of the argument do the same, I have had pressure to abort twice. Once by GP as he said I was too young, I was 18 when I had my first baby but I was married with a nice home and husband in a steady job. The second time I thought I was pregnant and had a 3 year old and a baby a few months old. You couldn't just buy a cheap pregnancy tester back then so I went to BPAS where I was being pressured to agree to an abortion before I even had the test. The test was negative by the way.

Graphista · 02/04/2017 12:07

Granny you shouldn't have experienced that either. There should be no pressure either way.

MrFMercury · 02/04/2017 12:07

Thank you for the letter template. I'm not a woman who normally gets involved either, generally because I'm not confident I understand the issue from all sides well enough to contact my MP etc but on this I do just feel very strongly that this is simply wrong.

grannytomine · 02/04/2017 12:17

Graphista, yes as I said there are faults on both sides. I suppose if people believe passionately in something then sometimes they overstep the mark. I experienced something similar when I refused amnio when I was pregnant at 39, yes I know what was I thinking having another baby when the eldest was 20. Doctor got quite nasty about me saying I didn't want it and I ended up leaving the hospital in tears. I suppose he genuinely felt that preventing the birth of a child with Downs was important, I didn't and never the twain did meet.

Graphista · 02/04/2017 12:20

I was a 'geriatric mum' too and high risk pregnancy, I too refused amnio. But it was a simple 'offered and refused' situation. I'm sorry you had otherwise.

grannytomine · 02/04/2017 12:30

Graphista, my Consultant was great the problem was an appointment when he was called to an emergency and I saw his Registrar. I think power went to his head! I had lots of sarky comments like, "Scared of needles are we?" The midwife tried to ease the situation and she was clearly embarrassed about it. I had to try to control myself as I met my husband and toddler and I knew if my husband saw how upset I was he would go mad. So had to dry my eyes, bite my lip and pretend all was well which of course made me feel even worse. Glad you didn't get the same hassle.

As one doctor said to me, "You had one family when you were too young and now you are having another when you are two old." I had one at 18 one at 21 and then one at 37 and one at 39. I was fascinated about what the right age was. Something vague like late 20s or specific like 28 years 3 months 2 week and 5 days. I wonder what is the right age?

Mysteryinthehives · 02/04/2017 12:33

I agree with Granny that there is often a lot pressure on both sides. Someone I know very well conceived during rape and it was just presumed that she would have an abortion by the GP, by the rape crisis people, by the pregnancy advisory service and by well-meaning friends who knew. She was heavily pressured towards abortion to the extent that when she decided she didn't want one, it was implied by several corners that she couldn't really have been raped because if she had she wouldn't make that choice.

Not all pro-choice people are like that, obviously, but a lot of the most vocal do seem to tend more towards the "Pro-choice as long as you make the choice I think you should have made." side.

JigglyTuff · 02/04/2017 12:38

Not been my experience of either BPAS or Marie Stopes.

In any event, the tampon tax isn't funding either of those organisations is it?

Graphista · 02/04/2017 12:40

"In any event, the tampon tax isn't funding either of those organisations is it?" Exactly

mysteryinthehives · 02/04/2017 12:43

No, but it means given the pressure that can occur from the pro-choice side I can understand why a woman afraid of being pressured into an abortion might choose to turn to an organisation like Life for help with housing or similar.

So my own objection to the funding (I'm also pro-choice) is lesser than it would be normally.

grannytomine · 02/04/2017 12:53

Mysteryinthehives, the poor girl. What a horrible choice have an abortion or we won't believe you were raped. How can people do that to someone?

grannytomine · 02/04/2017 12:59

BPAS and Marie Stopes both get government funding though.

Summerisdone · 02/04/2017 13:01

I'm absolutely disgusted by this. We are basically being forced to 'donate' to a charity even if we don't support it or believe in what it stands for.
Rather than using the tax from sanitary products to out towards things like this or any other charities, why can they not just remove the stupid tax and then maybe more people would be able to afford towels and tampons.

DrudgeJedd · 02/04/2017 13:12

Bpas have created this pre-populated form for anyone who would like to email the MP who chairs the government committee which made this award
clicky link

PhoenixJasmine · 02/04/2017 13:35

Thanks for that link too Drudge

I'm still fuming about this Angry

Laurapalmer90 · 02/04/2017 14:22

I am furious about this! Wrong on so many levels. Just emailed my MP, not much hope he'll reply though as he never replied to my email on the Gender Identity Bill. Angry

MaisyPops · 02/04/2017 14:22

Wrong. I cant even believe this js a thing (wrll i can becausw theres a few tory mps who also want to reduce abortion availability too).

In my mind is not 'pro life' vs 'pro choice'. It is 'pro choice' vs 'anti choice'.

People can be as pro life as they like without being so obnoxious to feel they have the right to remove another womans choice.
Taxpayers money should not be given out to initiatives like thsi.

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