WRITE TO YOUR MP

[GeneticTest]

I work for an MP.

We’ve had very few emails about GRA in the last few years- mostly against self ID.

We’ve had 4 emails in the last few days all outraged at this attack on transgender people.
All very similar. It’s a campaign.

We must keep emailing so MPs don’t think everyone agrees with the TRAs.

(My MP is GC)

Please- email your MP and let them know your views.

Hey @GeneticTest thanks for this post. I'm happy to write to mine too but honestly don't know what to say or how to frame it. Can you advise what the GC emails/letters have focussed on? Some pointers would be helpful. I can't seen an actual problem in my county yet and I'm pretty sure my son's new secondary school hasn't drunk the Koolaid yet BUT I'm all for preventative measures. Any advice would be appreciated because I've never written to an MP before about anything! Thanks. :-)

There are many previous threads on this board with advice on writing to MPs. Fair Play for Women and WPUK might also have resources.

It is always a good idea to make a letter personal to yourself. Do you have a child in school? Are you worried about his/her sex-based rights and/or safeguarding? Do you work in a field where the impact of 'gender identity' as a concept is problematic, for example medicine? Have you experienced problems at work, for example if your employer has mis-interpreted the Equality Act? Are you worried that it will be hard to fight sex discrimination if the concept of sex is undermined? Do you worry about the homophobia inherent in gender identity ideology?

Which party does your MP belong to? If Labour, can you tell them that Lisa Nandy's assertion that she would put male rapists in female prisons (she is on record for this, said it during Labour leadership election) makes you think that party does not care about vulnerable women?

Or Lib Dem, with prominent trans activists such as Helen Belcher or Lynne Featherstone who said that any woman who does not believe TWAW is not a feminist and should not vote for the LDs?

Or the Tories, with Penny Mordaunt and Maria Miller happily waving away any concerns?

Every letter counts and it does not have to be long.

Personal letters are always best.
In terms of the recent announcement about the GRA, if you agree that self ID is a bad idea then say so.
If you think women should be able to access single sex spaces then say so.
It doesn’t need to be long or complicated. (Long long emails aren’t generally a good idea)
Depending on which party they’re in will depend on what response you’ll get.
(SNP have drunk the koolaid)

They may write back basically saying you’re a TERF, or they may agree that single sex spaces need protecting.
You’ll need to give your address (they only respond to constituents)

And remember- they may be MPs, but they’re normal people and many of them have never thought about lots of this stuff.

I've written to my MP twice on this matter. No reply.

Actually I'm outing her - Nickie Aitken - Conservative MP for Westminster. She sits on the Women and Equalities Committee.

Nickie - this is your job.

I've written to mine in fury during the Labour leadership campaign. She wrote back politely, but made it clear she thought TWAW. If you are a party member, make sure you quote your membership number in the letter or something, to give it a bit more clout. I'll write again, but I don't think I'll change her mind.

Genetic is right - being socialised as female, I constantly think I have to justify what I believe. Many women probably do.

You actually don't have to rationalise. MPs have to represent their constituents. If an MP's constituents don't support self-ID and want existing single sex exemptions strengthened, then the MP needs to know!

I've written to my MP, and also Boris Johnson, Keir Starmer and Liz Truss.
Boris Johnson: email.number10.gov.uk/
Keir Starmer: [email protected]
Liz Truss: [email protected]

The form to contact Johnson only has space for 1000 characters, so you can be straight to the point. I won't include what I've written because I think it counts for more when people make it personal, and I don't know if my letter would be the best template anyway. I think it's important though to make clear that despite a vocal trans lobby, polls show the general public disagrees with self-ID. I think it's important to urge them to stand firm.

I emailed my Labour MP with all of my required contact details after the last GE and she has not even acknowledged my email. She either doesn't give a shit about women's rights or doesn't want to go on record. I wouldn't vote for her again.

I've written to my MP. He traditionally just has a stock answer for every issue so I won't hold my breath.

I emailed Liz Truss and got a "You're not in my constituency so I won't be reading this" response. Charming.

I've written to my MP. I agree that brief is best. I would suggest writing about how you welcome the government's decision to scrap GRA reform and Truss's commitment to continuing to provide single-sex spaces for women and girls. As a woman, you value the privacy and safety that single-sex spaces provide. If your MP isn't a Tory perhaps you can finish by urging them to support the government's decision.

Thisis I also wrote to Liz. At least you got a reply! I certainly didn't.

I emailed my (Conservative) MP yesterday, having already exchanged correspondence with him on this issue. (His reply to my initial letter was moderately encouraging; far more positive to my point of view than his Labour predecessor.) I intend to contact Liz Truss and Boris Johnson today as well as Keir Starmer. It's all quite exhausting and it's easy to be discouraged but we have come a long way since the days of the Consultation and so much of that is due to FWR.

It was an auto response, designed to leave you in no doubt that you're being asked to fuck off.
Odd, I wasn't even asking a question.

I emailed Liz Truss and got a "You're not in my constituency so I won't be reading this" response. Charming.
Did you use the same email address I linked above? In my automated response it said:

MINISTER FOR WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

If your email is regarding my role as Minister for Women and Equalities please email [email protected] or call 03000 200 229.

I've written to mine, who is a tory male. He hasn't replied yet, just a generic acknowledgment. I told him I was in strong agreement with the leaked plans, and how dismayed I'd been with Labour responses to women and their concerns about self-id. Encouraged mil to write too, and to get her friends to do the same.

@hypernormal

I emailed Liz Truss and got a "You're not in my constituency so I won't be reading this" response. Charming. Did you use the same email address I linked above? In my automated response it said:

MINISTER FOR WOMEN AND EQUALITIES

If your email is regarding my role as Minister for Women and Equalities please email [email protected] or call 03000 200 229.

I didn't, I used a link in another thread (mp@parliament) Off to try again...

My MP knows my views and told me I was both sexist and offensive when I talked about changing rooms etc with him so I don't know if it is worth it with him. He is so woke its amazing. Other local posters have had worse run ins.

I didn't, I used a link in another thread (mp@parliament) Off to try again...
Yes, that's what I did, sent it to the geo address.

Maybe they just didn't like my tone 🤷🏻‍♀️

Just to confirm that if you write to Liz Truss at the [email protected] and make it absolutely clear that you are writing to her in her capacity as Minister for Women and Equalities, your email or letter will go through.

I've done it. I also emailed my Conservative MP yesterday and know from our previous correspondence that I am pushing at an open door but OP is right. The more pro-women constituents who write, the better.

Thank you, GeneticTest, for this timely reminder.

Now is absolutely the time to make ourselves heard. Again.

Bump

Emailing Liz Truss now. Hadn't thought of that, so thank you for the nudge.

I am astonished that a male MP can state that he regards it as "sexist and offensive" to talk about women's rights to and need for single sex changing rooms.

I'd venture to suggest it's "sexist and offensive" of a man to wave aside a woman's concerns in this respect.

Thanks to you guys I've sent messages to the PM and Liz Truss via the proper channels.