Contact your MP re GRA

[LongWeek]

Following the thread about an poster seeing their MP...

I work for an MP. Also married to him.
We have 66,000 ish constituents. Not a single one has contacted DH about trans rights/GRA.

He knows it's coming up, and I've been explaining the issues that are concerning women.

But MPs won't know how people feel unless you tell them. I want to shout it from the rooftops of MN!

Petitions are not as effective as individual emails or face to face conversations. Too many MPs think that the GRA changes are all positive. They need more information.

Please- email or write to your MP.

Are you allowed to say what the constituency is, @LongWeek? I wrote to and went to see my MP last week. Am trying to convince the fabulous lefty feminist women of my Book Group to do they same but so far they think I am a TERF! (Next borough along so Lewisham). I think Heidi Alexander their MP would be v receptive too.

I am also halfway through writing letters for my mom, aunts, cousins and some friends from back home (in and around Birmingham and the Black Country) so am hoping to target more MPs up there.

I think someone on the FB group is keeping a spreadsheet of who has been written to and what response came back.

There is a great article in The Economist today about a young woman who detransitioned. A really full explanation of the dangers of medicalising young children. Sorry can't do the linky thing.

I’ve written to mine (male Tory) twice. Had no response. Will write again Thanks for the heads up that there has been little correspondence on this.

I wrote to mine after someone who worked for an MP said the same as you on another thread.

It's been two weeks now and no response! What's the usual response time if they're going to respond?

I found sitting down and writing the letter really helped to focus my thoughts and articulate myself on the issue. I think I'd be more prepared to speak out to friends now as I am less likely to get flustered etc.

Just realised it was probably you on the other thread longweek, thank you!!!

I posted the bullshit response from mine last week. Considering printing some news articles and such like and posting them to him.

What are you putting in your letters out of interest?

Originally I picked out a handful of the risk areas, transing of kids, male prisoners in women's prisons, pointing out [L]ian Huntley, etc, and the response from my MP could be summarised as "we in the Tory party are forward thinking and don't want to be on the wrong side of history".

If I write again I'm going to link to some newspaper articles quoting some useful bits and ask "what if you end up on the wrong side of the papers and their readers?"

My approach is to keep it brief and to avoid trying to cover everything. I'm after 3 or 4 things which will trigger a "surely that can't be happening?" response.

I just wrote in very basic language what my concerns were and asked how they were going to be addressed. I didn't use a template letter as I just don't have the level of education to understand all the neo-liberalism/post-truth/Orwellian/capitalism/Liberalism/authoritarian/left/right arguments used on here. They make my brain explode.

I asked to meet as I thought it's a conversation best to have face to face. I was contacted in under 24 hours by a nice aide who said that my MP is very keen to meet and discuss these issues and will be in touch.

To anybody lurking (I just lurked for years) I've never done anything even vaguely political before, if you have even vague concerns about this please write/email your MP and request to meet up to discuss how trans rights can be balanced with woman's rights and safeguarding of children.

Rolling Crone was this it?

www.economist.com/news/britain/21731859-plans-blur-gender-boundaries-spark-opposition-feminists-are-women-born-or-made

OK I don't think it was as that was isn't about de-transitioning. ARGH can't find it

Yippee yes I did

I'll gladly write to your DH, OP. Just let me know the constituency. My own MP (Male Tory) has ignored two letters so far.

I was informed by my MP's aide that MP's can only take letters/concerns from their own constituents? OP is that correct?

Its clear on the Theyworkforyou website that they can only follow up concerns from their own consistuents.

However if your own MP is useless and there's an MP willing to listen who has no letters on this subject I am delighted to help him in any way I can.

Constituents. I have no idea what consistuents are.

I wrote to mine. Got some wishy washy reply about how trans rights are far behind at the moment and a way forward needs to be found that is best for everyone. I pushed for further clarification from him about how he thinks this can happen without it affecting women negatively, and got this reply today:

"Thank you for your further response. You raise many important questions, and I am sure they will be debated very thoroughly should legislation come before Parliament.

Yours sincerely"

Well I'm glad he's so sure...

I wrote to mine already, and basically got back 'we care about the rights of transgender people. You are bigoted for caring about the rights of women. Transwomen are women'

Obviously paraphrased but that was the jist of it.

I did not really mention transwomen at all in my letter. My concerns were about predatory men taking advantage of the change in law too. Which was not acknowledged at all

I did not really mention transwomen at all in my letter. My concerns were about predatory men taking advantage of the change in law too. Which was not acknowledged at all

Ditto. Am trying to work up the energy to write again, despite knowing my MP to be a careerist arse-kisser who has never rebelled against his party's line.

Have written 3 times to the leader of SNP (my MP) and no reply.