How We Defend Scotland from MAGA Extremists and their Lies
Mobilising for women’s rights and the truth
We now know that the staged arrests in buffer zones seen in England are being attempted in Scotland as well. Rose Docherty, who has led the so-called ‘vigil’ at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow for years, has recently been filmed in the buffer zone, where police were asking her to move. The footage has been shared on Twitter/X by Lois McLatchie Miller, who describes herself as a ‘cuteservative’ in her Twitter bio. However, there is nothing 'cute' about Miller's true role; she is a senior communications officer for the Alliance Defending Freedom, an American Christian legal group that claims credit for the overturning of Roe v. Wade and is labelled a ‘hate group’ by the Southern Poverty Law Centre.
I cannot stress enough how much the Christian right and populist MAGA movements are focusing their attention on the UK and Scotland regarding abortion and LGBT rights. Therefore, I urge you to use the template letter below to write to your MSP and ask them to stand up for our democracy and women’s rights. Finally, if you haven’t already done so, please sign and share my petition for abortion decriminalisation. We are very close to getting enough signatures for a government debate. Links can be found at the bottom of this post, along with additional information regarding the ADF.
Find your MSPs here
https://www.parliament.scot/msps
Email Template
Subject: Request for Clarification on Disinformation Regarding Buffer Zones
Dear [MSP's Name],
I am writing to you as my Member of the Scottish Parliament to request that you urge the First Minister to publicly correct the disinformation spread by American Vice President JD Vance regarding buffer zones in Scotland.
Mr Vance alleged that the Scottish Government had begun issuing letters to residents in buffer zones, “warning them that even private prayer within their own homes may amount to breaking the law.” This statement is a complete misrepresentation of the law.
The legislation was designed to ensure that anti-abortion activists cannot use private properties within buffer zones to harass women who are accessing clinics. Just as one would be breaking the law by shouting racist abuse at someone from their living room or garden, this principle also applies to preventing the harassment of women. Furthermore, the law equally applies to abortion rights activists, who have ceased their regular pro-choice sign placements at hospitals such as the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, recognising that the law is applicable to all.
Scotland has a unique opportunity to be on the right side of history by standing up against the disinformation tactics of the far-right. Green MSP Gillian MacKay has spoken out on this issue, as have the young women behind Back Off Scotland. Our government cannot leave it to a small handful of young women to confront these populist forces.
Thank you for considering this important matter.
Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[Your Contact Information]
Links
Decriminalisation petition
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/700014
ADF and Roe V Wade
https://adflegal.org/article/what-you-may-not-know-how-adf-helped-overturn-roe-v-wade/
SPLC have ADF listed as a hate group
https://www.splcenter.org/resources/extremist-files/alliance-defending-freedom/