History in the making! Watch Parliament Live at 2.30pm!

[Sunkisses]

According to @SexMattersOrg on Twitter the Govt have backed down on the MOMA (Maternity) Bill and will now use the word 'mother' not 'person' in the legislation!

Women did this! We are winning!

Tune in live here at 2.30pm to see history in the making: www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/3ca1efa2-16a5-489d-a5a0-5d929bff81f6

The brain sex bit was an interesting slide into sexuality, rather than sex, and led into his point about the conditions of pregnancy being vital to the development and wellbeing of children. He also made a daft joke about testosterone being the hormone that enables courageous and forthright debate so women did have to have some which probably would have landed better had it not been off the cuff.

But that aside, he was emphatic. Humans are two sexes, and human sexes are not a spectrum.

I wonder whether anyone has ever asked Baroness Barker why she is called a Baroness instead of a Baron?

In case they haven't, perhaps they need to remind her that it is because she is a woman.

This is such good news. The only sad part is reflecting that the issue should not have arisen in the first place. But hey, it’s a big step forward, and taken by some powerful people who have refused to drink the stonewall coolaid, good to know they exist and are prepared to speak up.

This has cheered me up no end. Thank you for highlighting it!

I never really understood why ppl want to replace the house of Lords with a directly elected second chamber - you just get a lot of career politicians again. I thought of it as a reference library of people from different fields, so that they can really scrutinise legislation for all different walks of life. Whatever there is there will be an expert on it in the Lords. Obviously hereditary peers (are there still some?) don't provide that, and you have to be careful how they are appointed so one party can't stack the Lords, so I'm sure there is work to do on that, but as a principle the system seems a good one to me.

I wonder if Prof Winston would be prepared to give support to Emma Hilton & others who are trying to maintain the integrity of the discipline of biology - in the face of things like 'Nature' giving a woke disclaimer every time sex is mentioned.

For all those who've just seen this post, it is still going. Baroness Fox is on now! Tune in! It's amazing

just had a look online to see how this is being reported: literally nothing.

@StarintheMorning

What a day!

I’ve already sent cards to thank eight of the Lords who spoke so eloquently in the earlier debate. I will also email them today.

What can we do to capitalise on this? I have no faith in most of our media reporting accurately on this. I have a useless Conservative MP (young, female!) who currently won’t deal with anyone unless it is connected to COVID, and pre COVID only holds one surgery per month in a huge rural constituency. She has refused to see me regarding this, but I want her to take this on board.

What can we do to hammer this home to our representatives, that we will not accept women being erased in life and in law?

I agree

Maybe Mnhq can ask them on for a web chat

Maybe others too building on a campaign

I've just tuned in. I think I'm going to cry. Thank you Lords for listening.

Wow Claire Fox talking about Selina Todd - woooohoooo

Just turned in - also feeling a bit teary. They really get it!

I wonder whether anyone has ever asked Baroness Barker why she is called a Baroness instead of a Baron?

I’ll be referring to them as Baronperson Barker from now on.

Such good news. I thought they'd chuck it out. Brilliant. Thanks to the Lords and Baronesses and all the women!

Only female humans can give birth.
A victory for common sense.

Ask any civil servant which they would prefer to prepare for, a debate in the Commons or the Lords, and they’ll say the Commons. Because a few lines to take and some political point scoring will get you through the Commons. That would get you torn apart (politely, but very thoroughly) in the Lords. Probably by a world expert in whatever you were briefing about.

@vivariumvivariumsvivaria

NO ONE HAS SAID THAT TRANSWOMEN ARE A THREAT TO US!

It's men, you muppet. It's the fucking men.

Trans women aren’t men tho? If a man wants to attack you he will. He doesn’t need to pretend to be a woman to do it. But because of this trans men and women are now being treated as lesser beings. Was the man who attacked a woman in a (now deleted) thread on here this morning a trans woman or a man? Are the 3 women a week that are killed by their partners killed by trans women or men? Were the 56,000 rapes in 2020 committed by trans women, or men? Do trans women commit marital rape? Or do men? Of course you are entitled to your opinion. But in mine, battles need picking carefully, and this ‘victory’ won’t prevent any of the above brutal attacks. A shallow ‘victory’ indeed.

@Sunkisses

"I feel that Baroness Barker has gone off the rails a bit. If we were to always use 'gender neutral' language then we wouldn't be able to call this a Maternity Bill" - Lord Forsyth (Conservative)

That made me smile.

@cheeseismydownfall

"For a group to be properly protected by the law, they must be properly identified in the law"

YES YES YES THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO SAY!!!

Sorry for shouting. Am getting over excited here!

G'wan Baroness Fox! Freedom of speech, cancel culture, DV shelters. It's all in there.

I’m going to need to buy some more thank you cards. So heartening. I’ve already emailed Baroness Nicholson & had a reply. She’s really on the ball.

YES! Baroness Fox raises that THREE women-only DV refuges are being cut for being single-sex. What a day for the raising of the profile of women's rights!

@WeAreJackieWeaver

G'wan Baroness Fox! Freedom of speech, cancel culture, DV shelters. It's all in there.

Great well rounded speech. Applause.

@cheeseismydownfall

"For a group to be properly protected by the law, they must be properly identified in the law"

this! a thousand times this!

you cant make law based on feelings!

I am surprised at just how much support is on the TERFY side though! Even a year ago, it would have been handwaved through with just a few dissenting voices.

The Lib Dems need to get out of their victim bunker and engage with some reality (and also perhaps stop taking so much advice from Helen Belcher)

@GCAcademic

It is a day that should never have had to happen though.

Agreed. What on earth was the government - a Conservative government- thinking when they drafted this bill? Unless they did it deliberately to blow this whole issue open. You have to wonder.

Thanks GC

It is so odd to me that we ever got here, that this is under discussion.

Maybe the Conservatives did this as a tactic but I will go to my grave wondering why any of this ever happened.

Claire Fox is talking about the Women's Refuge problem.