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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:
PhoenixJasmine · 03/04/2017 19:29

Was talking about this at work today and a colleague said she remembered a Life talk at her school - showing graphic video of a late term abortion to underage girls Angry

Doowappydoo · 03/04/2017 19:29

Thanks for the BPAS link Drudge I've done it.

Original poster
HelenaDove · 03/04/2017 19:36

Pheonix thats sick Sad Angry

OP posts:
Owllady · 03/04/2017 20:30

Flipping heck at these groups that have gained access to schools :(

MaisyPops · 03/04/2017 21:14

Owllady
My experience is they claim to offer one thing and then subtly and notso subtly push their views. Staff complain and refuse to have them back and they move onto the next school/youth group.

Bearfrills · 03/04/2017 22:03

I've emailed my MP. He voted last month in favour of decriminalising abortion and has an interest in health issues so I'm hoping he'll respond positively to my email.

LovelyHandcream · 04/04/2017 07:47

Some women might need help after an abortion (maybe some counselling or help with contraceptives) and that should be offered as well.

granny that is exactly what BPAS offers- I'd imagine Marie Stopes the same- not sure about the NHS. All abortion providers will provide contraception for free - including fitting Miterna -

LovelyHandcream · 04/04/2017 07:47

Sorry Mirena

LovelyHandcream · 04/04/2017 07:52

And counselling too- face to face or on phone before and after the abortion.

Difference is it's all choice based and personal to your situation. Pro lifers 'counselling' is by definition anti choice. So they logically would treat women as a homogenous mass who are not to be trusted, but must be guilted, shamed or frightened into keeping a pregnancy they are not sure about or don't want.

Bearfrills · 04/04/2017 08:16

Some women might need help after an abortion (maybe some counselling or help with contraceptives) and that should be offered as well.

NHS offer help before, during and after including discussion of the available options and arranging contraception if needed/wanted.

Bearfrills · 04/04/2017 08:17

Some women might need help after an abortion (maybe some counselling or help with contraceptives) and that should be offered as well.

NHS offer help before, during and after including discussion of the available options and arranging contraception if needed/wanted.

RainbowsAndUnicorn · 04/04/2017 08:32

Lots of things tax is spent on i personally disagree with but it's life and I can't change it.

Disposable sanitary wear is a choice, there are other methods if people want to purchase something else.

As for children missing school because of no period protection, that doesn't need a charity it needs intervention to ensure their parents are meeting their child's needs. Who on earth doesn't buy essentials for the child, they can be picked up very cheap. Says a lot on their views on education too if they let their children skip school.

Riversleep · 04/04/2017 08:42

I remember a life talk at my Catholic school. They gave out little gold badges of little feet that they said we're the size of a foetus' feet. I can't remember what age but I remember them claiming something really early like 8 weeks or something. They are a Catholic pressure group. Glad they have allegedly moved on to actually helping women post birth after they have pressurised them into having a child.

Dawndonnaagain · 04/04/2017 11:01

Rainbows. My mother would do this to me on a regular basis. She got some sort of kick out of it. I'm going back 45 years. She was the headteacher at a local primary school, nobody would have believed me. Nobody did believe me.
Disposable sanitary wear is a choice available to some, not all.
If the government is spending your taxes on things which you do not approve of, you have every right to protest it.

YetAnotherSpartacus · 04/04/2017 13:33

This is appalling. Women are indeed being forced to fund their own oppression. Sad, sad day.

grannytomine · 04/04/2017 20:54

granny that is exactly what BPAS offers- I'd imagine Marie Stopes the same- not sure about the NHS. All abortion providers will provide contraception for free - including fitting Miterna and that is great, what I am saying is that support should be there for both groups the women who decide to have an abortion and the women who decide not to. I don't know anything about this group and maybe they aren't the ones to provide it but I think it is reasonable to support all women even if you don't agree with their choice.

Graphista · 04/04/2017 21:17

Rainbows want some polish for your halo? The girls who were staying home due to no sanitary wear were from families relying on food banks and really struggling! Have you NO idea what is going on in this country at the moment?!

As for 'disposable is a choice' no it's not for everyone. As I for one clearly said upthread NOT everyone can use mooncups, reusable sanitary wear is massively I'll advised for girls/women who have ltd/no access to washing machines/detergent ffs even just hot water!

We have people in THIS country DYING because of the cuts and you think that was a reasonable post?! I despair!

Bearfrills · 04/04/2017 21:32

For people on a limited budget where every penny is accounted for with nothing left over, who aren't even making ends coming within touching distance never mind making ends meet, there simply isn't the money for sanitary protection. Say mum plus two daughters, no big supermarkets nearby and no home delivery because it's a minimum spend of £40 plus the delivery charge, Aldi is a bus ride away so not an option either. Therefore they're reliant on the local shop which sells ten Always pads for £3 a pack (based on my local chemist) they need two packs each per period so that's £18 out of an already stretched income - possibly more if they have heavy periods and need more than two packs each.

I can easily see why there are families unable to provide sanitary protection. One of the items on the food bank request list at the local shops is sanitary towels.

Bearfrills · 04/04/2017 21:34

And reusable protection has an initial outlay that reflects the fact you only need to buy it every 10 years or so. Yeah, you save money in the longrun but £15 each for a mooncup or £30+ each for a starter kit of cloth sanitary towels is out of reach for many of these families.

Graphista · 04/04/2017 21:38

Bearfrills exactly! The poor are penalised by not having funds to get the larger packs of things or have money for initial outlay on things which will cost less in long run.

I've been in that situation many times. Eg a 4pt of milk is cheaper long run but need milk today no money for next 3 days PLUS got to carry it home as no money for bus let alone taxi! And milk is bloody heavy!

Owllady · 05/04/2017 08:47

I live in a rural village and its over £3 for tampax or towels in our local co-op. There are no 'cheap' options at all.

Bearfrills · 05/04/2017 08:50

And usually the £3+ ones are the ones with a pitifully small amount of towels in them.

Winetemptress · 05/04/2017 08:51

Why are these nut jobs in our schools? It's disgusting op quite agree.

Any taxes and there shouldn't be any should go to supporting contraception and abortion services for girls and women not bloody life. It's obscene.

Bearfrills · 05/04/2017 09:09

I'm torn on the whole issue of 'tampon tax' supporting women's charities. On the one hand any extra money for deserving causes is a good thing as it'll enable them to carry on their work and provide support to women and girls. On the other hand it's taxing women to fund their own support services when these support services, such as domestic violence services or housing services, are things the government should be providing anyway. We're going to tax you on this luxury item that you will bleed all over and then bin, but don't get your lady knickers in a twist about it because we'll use the tax to fund a load of charities that wouldn't even exist if we lived in a world where women were treated as equals.

Imbroglio · 05/04/2017 09:30

The tax is payable under EU law so the UK govt can't repeal it yet. I am fine with the money going to charity until this tax is lifted.

For charities it is one of the very few sources of central government funding available, and it's available to very few charities.

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