Urgent - Ministerial Maternity Bill this Thursday 11/02

[ConservativesForWomen]

#SixWords
For the word ‘person’ substitute ‘woman’

It is beyond belief that it has taken governments 103 years to notice women in government may have babies. We are very pleased to see long overdue recognition of this fact.

But it is unacceptable that this bill talks about ‘pregnant people’ and makes no mention of women at all. This is not a situation that will ever apply to a male minister, so why the obfuscation of language?

The Equality Act 2010 is very clear; it talks about pregnancy and maternity using ordinary language. Women. She. Her.

We are encouraging everyone to contact their MP as a matter of urgency; there is less than 48 hours before this bill is presented. See our example letter here:
docs.google.com/document/d/1B24BPG-OL9-3I3vvm_mfR6UnVjVAkVXj6KI2gHG_dUY/edit?usp=sharing

Amend it as you see fit, even telephone your MP if you are able to. Language matters. Sex matters. Women must not be erased. Please email or call your MP TODAY. Share this post across your networks; it affects all women and all political parties.

This excellent article by @MForstater gives more detail. (Thank you Maya).

mforstater.medium.com/pregnant-people-in-parliament-62adaa521c2d

“Giving birth is not like chairing a meeting. It cannot be done by a person of either sex.”

Less than 48 hours to go. #SixWords (with respect to @JohannLamont) and with thanks to @StoatlyL for initiating this and providing the draft email text.

twitter.com/CforWomenUK/status/1359109798944534537?s=20

www.facebook.com/Conservatives-For-Women-104300591505734

Joanna Cherry is glorious.
"Welcome the bill but it doesn't go far enough. Why does this bill make no mention of WOMEN. Reflection of idealogical language, denies woman and lesbians. Why is govt. not complying with EqA 2010. Replace the word 'person' with 'woman'. Let's talk about the erasure of women, most don't know this erasure of their sex class is going on. Those of us who warn are often pilloried. We are called transphobic for advocating for sex-based rights. Sex is a protected characteristic for a good reason, discrimination against women is rooted in our biology. Saying lesbians must be attracted to male bodies is homophobic. Let's reflect reality and the law and CEDAW."

I've got a growing love for Joanna Cherry 🍒🥰

@MaudTheInvincible

I've got a growing love for Joanna Cherry 🍒🥰

She’s glorious.

JC's excellent speech can be found here, by clicking her name (14:32:ish). parliamentlive.tv/event/index/37d497e8-4615-47c4-9c76-96c32396b31a

Brushed aside by Stella Creasy on Today a few minutes ago.

Now there’s a surprise.

Majority of Labour MPs are women and only two have signed. Well done RD and TA.

Spiked article refers to Richard Burgon: " The Labour MP was asked if only women can get pregnant. He dodged the question" on Politics Live yesterday. www.spiked-online.com/2021/02/11/does-richard-burgon-know-what-a-woman-is/

Also a dishonourable mention of Stella Creasy on Radio 4's Today programme this morning, reported as disingenuously praying in aid some notion of privilege that anyone should dare to even raise the matter of the wording of a Bill. "Speaking on the BBC’s Today programme this morning, she also dodged the issue, saying, ‘It is a moment of privilege to be concerned about the drafting of the bill rather than the scope of the bill’."

Words matter and are indispensable for clarifying thoughts, ideas and intentions as well as communicating proposals and reasons for them. It is a pity that people like her in Parliament and government didn't pay attention to words when drafting or scrutinising their poorly thought-out and poorly constructed gender recognition mishmash which has created so much confusion and so many problems when seen against the provisions of other Acts of Parliament enshrining rights and obligations, particularly those affecting women and children and indeed society generally.

Gosh it's a bad day when a politician says that discussing the drafting of a bill of parliament is a sign of priveledge.

Thanks, Conservativesforwomen.

And thanks for all the MPs standing up for women.

Really feeling for that lone Labour MP. Brave woman. I won't forget.

It is doubtless a sign of Stella Creasy's privilege that she still hasn't registered the significance of sex-based language to sex-based rights.

Spot on Abito. Words absolutely matter.

@ArabellaScott

Thanks, Conservativesforwomen.

And thanks for all the MPs standing up for women.

Really feeling for that lone Labour MP. Brave woman. I won't forget.

We absolutely won't. Thanks Tonia Antoniazzi! Shero.

I think Stella Creasy this morning sounded scared to agree with the R4 presenter that it should be women. I think she knew that if she did twitter would come crashing down on her.

As I simply cannot believe that she really thinks women are anything but female.

I agree Howzaboutye . I don't always appreciate just how severe the punishments would be for women like Creasy for failing to uphold every single aspect of this woman obliterating ideology.

The opening statement by Ed Leigh was a corker though:
"Can her majesty government confirm that only a biological woman can have a baby.will the minister therefore explain to me why this bill refers. to a person and not to a woman. If we are going to adopt extreme ideology . Why is the government going it by stealth and why can we not have transparent debate which insults the dignity of many women?"

YAS. Thank you, Ed Leigh, for pointing out that this is extremist ideology that most people do not buy into.

Also, oops, I missed Tonia Antoniazzi's name, somehow! Well done to her, too, and thank fuck there are two sane people in Labour!!

It's amazing how often Stella says the word woman in her speech. Yet won't support the Bill using the word woman.

Great speech from Sir John Hayes as well! Even quoted Orwell. Great to see men fighting back.

'Is it now considered to be embarrassing to be a woman or a mother? ...Are we saying that the concept of motherhood is so radical that it must be censored' 'the bill is about recognising the significance of motherhood.'
'We should affirm the existence of womanhood & motherhood. I'd do the same for fatherhood'

Sir John Hayes

Cross post!

I see that TA refused to vote for the Brexit Bill, and lost a parliamentary job because of that. Good for her.

Thank you, Rosie Duffield and Tonia Antoniazzi for standing up, in the face of ideology and party, and at personal cost.

Thanks for reporting on this. I missed it was going on due to following the Allison Bailey case.

Well done to those standing up.

I’ll listen to the coverage later but ”The transwoman lawyer is arguing that maternity leave in a specific case where both parents had transitioned should go to the transwoman as the 'mother'.” what?? Surely the person who gave birth needs more time due to what has happened to their body. If you adopt, do you get less leave than maternity?

Stella Creasy? Presented without comment, except to note that at the end it quotes Penny Morduant saying that "the word 'women' will be used in all (its) documents going forward"

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-56023219

[quote HollywoodTease]Stella Creasy? Presented without comment, except to note that at the end it quotes Penny Morduant saying that "the word 'women' will be used in all (its) documents going forward"

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-56023219[/quote]
It was just a 'drafting issue'.

Sure it was.

@EyesOpening

I’ll listen to the coverage later but ”The transwoman lawyer is arguing that maternity leave in a specific case where both parents had transitioned should go to the transwoman as the 'mother'.” what?? Surely the person who gave birth needs more time due to what has happened to their body. If you adopt, do you get less leave than maternity?

Nope nope nope. The woman regardless of how she identifies (and frankly if you’re giving birth you haven’t “transitioned” at all) needs the maternity leave. If they want to share parental leave like any other couple then fair play.

That's appalling. Women can take months to recover from birth, as I am sure many on MN are well aware! The MTF trans person is not the "mother".