Stopes’ first book, ‘Married Love,’ published in 1918, was prompted by her reading on the subject. Despite being condemned by churches, the medical establishment, and the press, the book quickly gained popularity, selling 2,000 copies within a fortnight. Stopes received numerous letters from women seeking her advice and overnight became a famous figure. She utilized this newfound publicity to further promote her cause.
Stopes gained popularity and became well-known as numerous women sought her advice. She utilized her fame and publicity to advocate for her causes. Married Love, upon its publication, instantly catapulted Stopes to fame. Within two weeks, over 2000 copies were sold, making it the first sex manual to be published in the UK. In various archival collections, many letters from women expressing gratitude towards Stopes for her work and seeking information on birth control can be found. The book was condemned as “immoral” and “obscene” by the church, the media, and the medical community.
In just two weeks, Married Love, the first sexual manuscript or book ever published in the UK, sold 2,000 copies. Despite the condemnation of the church, media, and medical community as immoral and obscene, numerous women wrote letters to Marie Stopes thanking her for the work and seeking advice on birth control information. In 1921, Stopes established her clinic with the intention of preventing the births of what she deemed to be racially inferior individuals from the working class, labeling them as “the inferior, the depraved, and the feeble-minded”.
Her clinics were established in low-income areas, reflecting her intention to address issues of poverty. Her slogan, “Joyful and Deliberate Motherhood, A Safe Light in our Racial Darkness,” reinforced her belief that promoting parenthood among financially disadvantaged individuals could be a positive force. In her book, Radiant Motherhood (1920), she advocated for the immediate and compulsory sterilization of those deemed unsuitable for raising children. A manifesto titled The Control of Parenthood (1920), which she contributed to, outlined the ideals of her eugenicist group, emphasizing the achievement of a “utopia” through the concept of “racial purification.”
Stopes’s clinic in 1921 aimed to prevent the births of individuals belonging to what she classified as inferior working classes, as she had expressed in her book. These individuals were described as “the inferior, the depraved, and the feeble-minded.” Hence, her clinics were primarily located in impoverished areas. Her slogan advocated for “Joyful and Deliberate Motherhood, A Safe Light in Our Racial Darkness.” In her book Radiant Motherhood (1920), Stopes emphasized her belief that “the sterilisation of those totally unfit for parenthood [should be] made an immediate possibility, indeed made compulsory.” She also contributed a chapter to The Control of Parenthood (1920), which served as a manifesto for her group of eugenicists. The chapter asserted the need for achieving a “utopia” through “racial purification.” In 1922, Birth Control, a book authored by Halliday Gibson Sutherland, a Roman Catholic doctor, was published. This book attacked Stopes for her promotion of the cervical cap, labeling it as “the most harmful method [of contraception] of which I have had experience.” Furthermore, it associated Stopes’ birth control campaign with a writer who had been convicted of obscenity for publishing on birth control 45 years prior.
Sutherland did not respond to a challenge to debate the issue, so a writ for libel was issued against him. In 1922, a Roman Catholic doctor named Halliday Gibson Sutherland published a book called Birth Control that criticized Marie Stopes’s endorsement of the cervical cap, stating that it was “the most harmful method [of contraception] of which I have had experience”. Later, Stopes was convicted for obscenity in her earlier work on contraception, which took place 45 years prior. Sutherland accused Stopes of using poor women as experiments, a claim she vehemently denied and for which she sued him.
However, Sutherland was eventually cleared of charges, which brought Stopes a large amount of public attention. As a result, she became a public speaker. In 1924, the court decided in favor of Sutherland, causing Stopes to lose many of her assets. This loss actually increased her popularity and the number of clients at her clinic who were interested in her cause, which is the topic of birth control. Her book, published in 1931, sold 750,000 copies through 19 editions. In 1933, she published another book to debate the Church’s attack on her work. Despite the condemnation from churches, by 1958 they recognized the necessity of birth control. The decision in 1924 was final and favored Sutherland.
Stopes experienced significant financial losses, but the gains in publicity and book sales helped alleviate some of the impact. The trial brought birth control into the public spotlight and led to a significant increase in the number of visitors to her clinic. Halliday Sutherland, a Roman Catholic doctor, authored a treatise where he accused Stopes of conducting birth control experiments on disadvantaged women; Stopes vehemently denied these allegations and countered by suing Sutherland for libel. The widely publicized trials that ensued ultimately exonerated Sutherland, yet they also brought Stopes an incredible amount of attention, further establishing her as a popular public speaker.
She published a formal rebuttal to the Church’s attacks on her work in the 1933 book, Roman Catholic Methods of Birth Control. Despite facing criticism from Catholic and Anglican churches and British doctors, her book gained immense popularity among the general public in Britain. By 1931, it had gone through 19 editions and sold almost 750,000 copies. However, it was deemed obscene by the U.S. Customs Service and was only allowed after Judge John M.’s intervention.
Woolsey granted it approval on 6 April 1931 (Woolsey would later permit James Joyce’s Ulysses into the United States). Here is a portion of Woolsey’s statement: “[Married Love] also offers justified criticism of the untimely exercise, by the man in the marriage, of what are commonly referred to as his conjugal or marital rights. It earnestly pleads, with eloquence, for husbands to better comprehend the physical and emotional aspects of their wives’ sex life.” Although the U.S. Customs Service prohibited the book, Judge John M. Wooley welcomed it on April 6th, 1931.
The statement made by the author’s of [Married Love] included valid criticisms of how men exercise their conjugal or marital rights in marriage. The book pleads for husbands to better understand the physical and emotional aspects of their wives’ sex life, expressing it with seriousness and eloquence. The publishers’ foreword further emphasizes the suppression of sex-education books serves as evidence that government agencies responsible for censorship are severely unqualified for the job.
The passage emphasizes the changing morals that come with changing times. It suggests that the outdated and secretive treatment of sex in previous generations is no longer relevant. Instead, our modern approach encourages healthy curiosity and open discussion. We now view sex as a significant aspect of human life, both for individuals and society as a whole.
The Publishers’ Foreword adds to this by stating that the suppression of sex-education books illustrates the incompetence of government agencies tasked with censorship. The passage concludes that these agencies are not suitable for such responsibilities.
The passage highlights the idea that morals change with the times. It emphasizes that outdated methods of secrecy and prudishness in discussing sex are no longer relevant. Society now encourages healthy curiosity and addresses sexual matters openly. Sex is no longer considered disgraceful or taboo, but rather an important aspect of human life. In 1935, a group of American academics recognized the book “Married Love” as one of the 25 most influential books of the past 50 years. This same year, Stopes attended a Nazi congress in Berlin where she advocated for compulsory sterilization of those deemed undesirable. She also focused on reducing the birth rate in poor areas through abortion clinics.
Anthony Ozimic compared praising her to praising Adolf Hitler, as both promoted eugenics to create a superior race. Ozimic believes that this is a criminal act against vulnerable members of society in order to achieve racial progress. Despite facing condemnation by many, her method of birth control provided relief for women who would have otherwise experienced traumatic births of children with cleft palates. Eugenic abortion has contributed to the growing number of terminations in Britain, which has reached 7 million since 1967.
The feminist attended the Nazi congress on population science in Berlin in 1935. She called for the compulsory sterilisation of the diseased, drunkards, or simply those of bad character. Stopes concentrated her abortion clinics in poor areas to reduce the birth rate of the lower classes. The Society for the Protection of Unborn Children criticized her and compared her actions to praising Adolf Hitler. Both promoted compulsory sterilisation and aimed to eliminate society’s most vulnerable members for racial progress. Despite this, some choose to ignore these racist tendencies and honor Stopes as a pioneer who relieved women of the trauma of giving birth to a child with a cleft palate. Eugenic abortion has become increasingly prevalent in the 7 million terminations performed in Britain since 1967.
In 2008, Stopes was featured on commemorative stamps in recognition of her status as one of the prominent British women of the 20th century. This decision by Britain’s Royal Mail sparked considerable controversy, drawing heavy criticisms. Peter Mullen, a rector at St. Michael’s in the City of London, accused Stopes of sympathizing with the Nazis and condemned the Royal Mail for honoring her. He stated, “She advocated for the sterilization of the poor, the sick, and individuals of mixed race. The Royal Mail’s decision to honor Marie Stopes warrants condemnation.” The Royal Mail faced widespread backlash in 2008 for honoring Stopes with a commemorative stamp.
A well-known British clergyman named Peter Mullen, who serves as the rector of St. Michael’s in the City of London, criticized Marie Stopes, considering her a sympathizer of the Nazi regime. As Mullen stated, Stopes campaigned for the sterilization of impoverished individuals, those who were ill, and people of mixed race. Mullen also condemned the Royal Mail for honoring Marie Stopes. However, despite these negative perceptions, Stopes received commendation from many women for her efforts. She received numerous letters from women regarding birth control. Stopes effectively utilized her social status to advocate for family planning among the working class in order to combat poverty and improve overall health.
On Sunday October 20, the BBC revealed the winners of its viewers’ poll for the ‘Greatest Britons’. Among the notable individuals, Marie Stopes gained recognition for her work in promoting birth control. Through Married Love, Marie received numerous letters from women seeking information about contraception. Witnessing the detrimental effects of poverty and illness caused by a lack of family planning knowledge among the working class, Marie used her fame to advocate for this cause. However, the recent establishment of Marie Stopes International in Belfast, Northern Ireland has stirred controversy and discontent among various groups. The Bishop of
Down and Connor Noel Treanor criticized the opening of the facility, arguing that it further undermines the sanctity and dignity of human life in society. He believes that terminating human life after conception disregards the humanity and inherent dignity of the unborn child and violates the right to life. A spokesperson from the DUP expressed their disapproval for any alteration to the current abortion laws in Northern Ireland. This viewpoint is not exclusive to the DUP but is shared by other major political parties. Sinn Fein also opposes abortion and extending the 1967 British Abortion Act to the six counties. However, they believe that if a woman’s life or mental health is at risk or in grave danger, the final decision should be made by the woman. The Marie Stopes clinic operates as a private institution, following guidelines and legal framework set by the Department of Health in the North. The UUP holds that abortion is a matter of personal conscience, allowing its members to freely express their own opinions on the subject.
