MPs and more than a dozen charities have condemned the abuse directed at a trans woman following a television appearance. 

Mika Minio-Paluello was interviewed for an ITV news segment on the cost of living crisis last month, in which she mentioned she was a mother.

The interview prompted a wave of online abuse, including death threats.

Two MPs were criticised for making offensive remarks about Minio-Paluello: the Labour MP Rosie Duffield tweeted that Minio-Paluello was not a mother, while Tory MP Nick Fletcher asked the home secretary in Parliament to investigate her for child abuse.

Minio-Paluello’s employer, the Trades Union Congress, later issued a statement on the social media platform saying that its staff member “is being subjected to anti-trans abuse online, because she is a mother. This is unacceptable. Everyone should be safe and respected at work”.

In response to the backlash, more than a hundred fifty politicians, charity leaders, artists, academics and campaigners have signed a letter, published today, calling for solidarity with Minio-Paluello.

The signatories include Labour MPs Nadia Whittome and Apsana Begum, Labour peer Shami Chakrabarti, the Green Party, and senior figures at Greenpeace UK and Unite.

“As feminists and mums, we give our wholehearted support to Mika Minio-Paluello who has faced a vile wave of personal attacks for speaking on TV while trans,” reads the letter, coordinated by the campaign group Level Up. 

“We are in solidarity with every mother who is doing their best for their children in this cost of living scandal, where so many are struggling to make ends meet.”

The letter criticises the attacks aimed at Minio-Paluello for describing herself as mother, pointing out that “motherhood looks different for all of us”.

“The title of ‘mother’ is often the only thing we have in common with other women. Whether we parent alone or with a partner, we are mothers. Whether we have birthed, adopted or fostered, we are mothers. Whether or not we had IVF, we are mothers. Whether we bottle-feed or breastfeed, we are mothers. Whether queer, straight, cis or trans, we are mothers,” it reads.

The letter outlines “political priorities for mothers” including adequate parental leave and income support; affordable childcare; and access to safe, affordable housing and healthcare. 

“We will only achieve [these demands] if we build common ground across our differences to build our collective power together,” it says.

Selma James, one of the founders of the influential Wages for Housework campaign, said to attack a mother was “to attack life itself,” adding: “All mothers are entitled to every social and economic support.”

More than 4,000 hate crimes against transgender people were recorded by police in England and Wales last year, a rise of 56% on the previous year.

The Labour Party had not responded to openDemocracy’s questions about whether it would take any action against Duffield for her comments at the time of publication.