#SexInTheSenedd (Election special!)

[MerchedCymru]

So this week, in the lead up to polling day in the Senedd election (May 6th) Merched Cymru have launched our social media Election Campaign.

Every day we're posting (in Welsh and English) about the upcoming Senedd elections using the cheeky hashtag #SexInTheSenedd / #SecsYnYSenedd. This is literally going far and wide with positive feedback, and we are encouraging women across Wales to let their local representatives know their feelings about the erosion of our rights,

Depressingly over the last week MC women have been excluded from hustings for asking entirely reasonable questions about the Equality Act. This is concerning (and astonishing tbh) especially as the events were centred on women.

Its time to hold our elected representatives to account, and as the saying goes, 'If you won't respect my Sex don't expect my X'!

Have a look at our posts on FB and Twitter, and if you're in Wales let your candidates know what you think....

www.facebook.com/MerchedCymru
twitter @MerchedCymru

You are not the only one asking that question SirVix (only just got the pun in the name - nice one!).

Best option I can come up with right now is to spoil the main ballot ('sex matters' / 'sex not gender' / woman: adult human female' or just 'WTFFF") and vote for the Communist Party for the regions.

Anyone else got any better ideas?

Thread on ballot-spoiling... www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/4236717-Local-elections-how-to-spoil-ballot

I am so torn on this. I am furious with Plaid for their stance on women, and for what they have done to HMJ, yet my local candidate is good on local issues.
I am still dumfounded that in the past the Conservatives have been the only ones who seem to take my vote seriously and listen to what I have to say on sex based rights.

Off I go to not-vote.

I've been a vocal supporter of my constituency Labour candidate since forever. He's good on so many issues but is actively working against women on this one.

It's so depressing.

It really is depressing. My dd gets to vote for the first time which should be exciting but instead she is left in the same position as me, wants to vote Plaid, but doesn’t want to vote for a party that won’t protect girls like her.

@SirVixofVixHall

It really is depressing. My dd gets to vote for the first time which should be exciting but instead she is left in the same position as me, wants to vote Plaid, but doesn’t want to vote for a party that won’t protect girls like her.

It's the last throw of the dice for me. If I'm ignored after this campaign I'm out of there, and will be incandescent. I have a reputation for being generally kind, interested in others, (earned by spurs from community volunteering, night shelters etc,) but like many women I really feel I'm being pushed too far. I'm so sad for you fab dd who must have been so excited at voting for the first time, but now faced with this.... 😡

Also up for Police Commissioner is Philippa Thomson, a woman who has no idea what a woman is.
I feel as though I have landed in some alternative reality.

I am so torn on this. I am furious with Plaid for their stance on women, and for what they have done to HMJ, yet my local candidate is good on local issues.

Same here SirVix. He won't get in though so I think I'll swell his support regardless.
HMJ told me herself to join Plaid and 'fight from the inside', so I think it's what she'd want me to do!

So we're interested to know how you've voted in these elections (if you choose to share), or if indeed you spoiled your paper and why.

Its tough, as most of us are aware of the struggle to get the right to vote, and we are immensely grateful to those women who fought for our rights. Many women who have been in touch have expressed anger and frustration at being placed in this situation. No one expects to agree entirely with every aspect of a political party manifesto, but the continual erosion of womens rights, and the lack of engagement is a step too far.

We've posted this request on our FB page. Please go to the page or share here if you'd like.

www.facebook.com/MerchedCymru

Thanks MC. I'll pop over and do that - might be a bit of swearing though!

Helo @MerchedCymru - I won't add my comments on FB as I'm not anonymous there. I spoiled the PCC paper and the constituency one. I decided to vote for Gwlad on the regional list at the last minute as they are more likely to gain seats than the Communist (or was it Socialist?) party who also supported the statement regarding our rights.

Despite support from my PC candidate, it's too little too late and if there are more who feel the same in the party, why the ruddy heck aren't they speaking up? They can't send all of them for 're-education'!

@MerchedCymru - I voted this morning in Gwynedd. Spoiled my constituency vote with the message 'don't respect my sex, don't get my x - no to Self-ID' and drew arrows towards all the parties who support that policy. Voted Plaid on the regional because I'm aware that some of the candidates also have issues with party policy on self-ID so hopefully Helen Mary Jones' approach might have some effect there. Voted Plaid on the PCC as that post isn't a legislator.

In case it's of interest, DH emailed Plaid with his concerns about their policy on self-ID and asking them for information about how they were going to protect single sex spaces. He got no response so he spoiled his votes too.

A slight aside, but something I've been thinking ever since I saw her on a YesCymru leaflet - has Charlotte Church ever talked publically about these issues? I know she knows what a women is.

I voted in Swansea East and spoiled my vote. Don't get any pleasure out of doing this - I've supported Plaid all my adult life and this is really weighing on me. Someone I know in my community is the Plaid rep and I can't even approach them with this issue.

I spoiled all three of my ballot papers with pithy slogans and red lipstick .
Earlier today I had a brief game of chess with a passive aggressive pigeon (before they called me a terf and flounced off) so I was feeling a bit feisty already .
I'm upset though ; I feel like I have committed treason or something. I would still do it again .

@MerchedCymru @BlackAlys @Olderbadger1

Aw thanks Caged - to you too. Think we might need quite a lot tonight. I have also bought a giant bar of chocolate.

I voted CP for the regions and spoiled everything else. Stuck some women's rights stickers in two of the booths and on the spoiled ballots, slid 'sex not gender' printouts in to the folds.

I felt quite cheered up actually (in between the sad and angry bits) - the suffragettes would be proud of us! Right side of herstory.

@Olderbadger1

Aw thanks Caged - to you too. Think we might need quite a lot tonight. I have also bought a giant bar of chocolate.

I voted CP for the regions and spoiled everything else. Stuck some women's rights stickers in two of the booths and on the spoiled ballots, slid 'sex not gender' printouts in to the folds.

I felt quite cheered up actually (in between the sad and angry bits) - the suffragettes would be proud of us! Right side of herstory.

Crikey, covered all eventualities there!! Follow that! (I can't) 🤣

Thanks @Cagedbirdsinging

My polling station was silent and DH (who just doesn't see it as an issue and gets really annoyed with me when I bring it up) was right next door and too close for comfort, so my red sharpie stayed in my pocket and I simply wrote "I'm saddened it has come to this but I cannot vote for any party who ignores my sex. No to self-ID. I wrote it next to the Plaid box - I want them to be really clear about who I would have voted for.

What a mess. Feel so flat!

2-minute action.
If you are in Wales, the BBC wants to know if/why you did or didn't vote in the Senedd elections. Please tell them, especially if you spoiled your ballot because you are politically homeless as an adult human female.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-57086750?fbclid=IwAR1S1dvQclCakBSyokffodf6LYzxefxMcakAV1hjqlwGyZQKcPucvB6WrdI

Thanks Badger . I went there and I did that .
Two minutes well spent .

Me too. Strangely satisfying wasn't it!

[quote Olderbadger1]2-minute action.
If you are in Wales, the BBC wants to know if/why you did or didn't vote in the Senedd elections. Please tell them, especially if you spoiled your ballot because you are politically homeless as an adult human female.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-57086750?fbclid=IwAR1S1dvQclCakBSyokffodf6LYzxefxMcakAV1hjqlwGyZQKcPucvB6WrdI[/quote]
Thank you. Just done it. Sadly not able to go on too much due to character limits.

Thanks for that link to the BBC. I wonder if someone will be deleting all the women's rights responses, seeing how they say "If we decide to publish your comments, we'll email you at [email protected] . Sadly, we are unable to respond to everyone who gets in touch." once the comment has been registered.

Massive thanks to MerchedCymru for helping those of us living in Wales see exactly how little importance our representatives place in upholding the legal, sex based rights and protections for women and girls. My local senedd representatives and police commissioner candidates didn't bother answering my questions about sex and gender, so I had to spoil my ballot in both those elections, but your handy list of regional senedd representatives allowed me to cast a vote for Gwlad, who had said they intended to uphold sex based rights.

It is clear that we need our own strong lobby group to challenge this disastrous mess. The vast majority of people in Wales know that sex is immutable, and exactly why the hard won legal rights of women and girls must be upheld.

Is it possible to join you and work towards lobbying our representatives and publishing their responses online, in order to draw attention to what has been going on? It was very difficult to get information on how to vote this time, because they were so secretive. None of the parties mentioned their outré views concerning sex and gender in the information they made available in the run up to the election, and direct questions were ignored. Welsh media has also chosen not to report on the subject.

I'd like to see an army of Welsh women tackling this problem, and getting the information out to the electorate, and the media, so that people are able to make informed decisions in future elections. Is there anywhere I can register my interest in joining up and helping out?

Done also. There wasn't space for much!

Massive thanks to MerchedCymru for helping those of us living in Wales see exactly how little importance our representatives place in upholding the legal, sex based rights and protections for women and girls.

Absolutely! Diolch yn fawr

It is clear that we need our own strong lobby group to challenge this disastrous mess. The vast majority of people in Wales know that sex is immutable, and exactly why the hard won legal rights of women and girls must be upheld.

Is it possible to join you and work towards lobbying our representatives and publishing their responses online, in order to draw attention to what has been going on? It was very difficult to get information on how to vote this time, because they were so secretive. None of the parties mentioned their outré views concerning sex and gender in the information they made available in the run up to the election, and direct questions were ignored. Welsh media has also chosen not to report on the subject.

I'd like to see an army of Welsh women tackling this problem, and getting the information out to the electorate, and the media, so that people are able to make informed decisions in future elections. Is there anywhere I can register my interest in joining up and helping out?

This too! I have liked the Merched Cymru facebook page, but am not that active on social media. I can't do that much but I'd love to do a little!