Vote Like Your Rights Depend on it
Because they Do!
Before Sunak announced a snap election there were several anti-abortion amendments tagged onto the Criminal Justice Bill and some were well supported. We now have an opportunity to get rid of anti abortion MPs and ensure we send back pro-choice ones who will put long overdue decriminalisation back on the table.
First things first. Register to vote! You have until Tuesday 18th June 23.59
https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections
You now need ID to vote in Westminster elections (unless you plan on a postal vote)! Get free id
Think you might be on holiday July 4th? Apply for a postal vote (this also means you won’t need ID to vote!)
https://www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote
Now, who to vote for? Of course, that’s completely up to you and it can be hard to decide but I think it’s important to check the individual person you will vote for to be your MP. It’s important not to assume a mostly liberal party will mean a pro choice candidate. Always check! Exhibit A Carol Monaghan, SNP, Exhibit B Wendy Chamberlain Liberal Democrats, Exhibit C Mary Kelly Foy who all officially supported Westminster anti abortion amendments.
This is where anti abortion organisations make themselves useful. Right to Life, a horrible organisation, have a tool to let you see how politicians have voted on abortion. Let’s use it to our advantage!
https://righttolife.org.uk/votes
With it being a snap election, you may not know who your local candidates are yet. As soon as you do, google search their name plus ‘abortion’ to see which news items come up. Even better, write to them if you have time or ask whoever you see representing them at the polling station.
Buffer Zones (Scotland)
Proposed Tory wrecking amendments put forward by Jeremy Balfour did not survive stage two of the bill. The stage three debate is taking place on 12th June. It is still well worth sending one more email to your MSP to ask them to support the bill. If it passes, it will just need royal assent to become LAW!
Final thoughts…
In my opinion, a so called ‘gender critical feminist’ can’t be trusted on abortion (I prefer to call them anti trans activists). Many of the high profile activists say it would be worth sacrificing abortion to have their way on gender. That is, obviously, ludicrous. The religious/far right will go after the rest of us as soon as they are done with trans people. To learn more and go down a morbidly fascinating rabbit hole on anti-gender lobby and their financial supporters, I highly recommend reading “Bodies Under Siege” by Sian Norris.
Final, final thoughts…
If anyone wants some interesting documentaries to watch, I was fascinated by BBC Praying for Armageddon on how American Evangelicals are desperate for the rapture and their excitement about current events in Palestine https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001z96s
BBC Blood on the Dance Floor about a gay policeman murdered in Northern Ireland against a backdrop of homophobia.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001xjx6/spotlight-blood-on-the-dance-floor
And the truly heartbreaking Dispatches documentary ‘Kill Zone’ about Gaza (it does not ignore or in any way attempt to justify the truly dreadful things done to innocent Israeli people on October 7th).
https://www.channel4.com/programmes/kill-zone-inside-gaza-dispatches