The left is attempting to erase gendered terms in an effort, they say, that would promote inclusivity.
The war reached so far to include adopting more gender-neutral phrasing on menstruation products.
Pam England, a psychologist and former nurse, wrote Birthing From Within in 1998, and has argued that all kinds of people give birth. “Women give birth. Men give birth. People who identify outside the gender binary give birth,” England wrote in a blog post with the same name as her book.
Every day, Black birthing people and our babies die because our doctors don’t believe our pain. My children almost became a statistic. I almost became a statistic.
I testified about my experience @OversightDems today.
Hear us. Believe us. Because for so long, nobody has. pic.twitter.com/rExrMXzsSQ
— Congresswoman Cori Bush (@RepCori) May 6, 2021
In February, Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals (BSHU) of the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) announced that it was instructing nurses and midwives to no longer use terms like “breastfeeding” and “breast milk.” Instead, BSHU directed its health practitioners to use the terms “chestfeeding,” “human milk” or “chest milk.”
In fact, the entire BSHU department of “maternity services” has been changed to “perinatal services.”
BSHU’s February directive also said nurses should not assume the birthing parent’s gender identity by calling them the “mother.”
A statement released by BSHU read, “we are proud to care for trans and non-binary (including agender, bigender and genderqueer) people as birthing parents and co-parents.”
Today we are launching the UK’s first clinical and language guidelines supporting trans and non-binary birthing people.
Follow us as we post throughout the week.
Find out more on our webpage
➡️ https://t.co/EPaesy4RWN#transpregnancy #nonbinarypregnancy #genderinclusion pic.twitter.com/qgzhJ2e6On— Brighton and Sussex Maternity (@BSUH_maternity) February 8, 2021
“As professionals, and as an organisation, we have a responsibility to promote good health. We do this not only through quality care, but also … whilst striving to eliminate discrimination, prejudice and stigma,” the BSHU statement went on to say.
Across the pond, President Joe Biden’s proposed 2022 fiscal year budget released in May replaced feminine terms for gender-neutral ones.
In a section voicing the administration’s laudable goal to bring down maternal mortality rates further, the White House replaced the term “mother” for “birthing people.” (RELATED: Congresswoman Cori Bush Refers To Women As ‘Birthing People’)
SEN. LANKFORD: “Can you help me get a good definition of ‘birthing people?'”
BECERRA: “We’re trying to be precise in the language that’s used.”
SEN. LANKFORD: “Mom is a pretty good word. That’s worked for a while.” pic.twitter.com/tE6uBPQFVM
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) June 11, 2021
Appearing in front of the Senate Budget Committee in June, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) deputy director Shalanda Young said the language change was in order to be “inclusive.”
.@RepJasonSmith: “Is the admin’s official policy to replace the term woman with birthing people?”
Acting OMB Dir. Young: “I think our official policy is to make sure when people get service from their government that they feel included and we’re trying to use inclusive language” pic.twitter.com/4ABbD1Lr58
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) June 9, 2021
Republicans described what they say was the Biden administration’s move to erase the term “mothers” from a section of the budget. It also reflected efforts undertaken by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats. The Democrats voted to replace gendered terms with ones that “honor all gender identities” in the House Rules Package for the 117th Congress.
NEW: US House rules for new Congress require use of gender neutral language. And continues ban on lobbyists in US House Members gym in Rayburn Bldg pic.twitter.com/7PpyYJei4C
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) January 1, 2021
The House rules changed terms such as “seamen” and “chairman” changed to “seafarers” and “chair,” as well as references to fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, and a host of other familial relations. The new terms were “parent, child, sibling, spouse, or parent-in-law.”
