Is gender-neutral language racially and culturally insensitive? I believe this is one of the issues that may drive a wedge between Black people and the Democrats. Members of the Connecticut Legislative Black and Puerto Rican Caucus have expressed concern that “pregnant person” is not inclusive of their cultural identities and that it alienates those who think of themselves using the word mother. Connecticut State Representative Robyn Porter, of New Haven, initiated an amendment to House Bill 5454, which initially excluded the word mother in favor of “pregnant person.” This and similar terms prioritize the feelings of those who push gender identity ideology while ignoring the vast majority of American women who use the term “mothers.” Other Black and Latina(o) Connecticut State Representatives bravely advocated for and successfully led to an amendment of HB 5454 along with Rep. Porter.
After a heated debate that lasted 35 minutes, the amendment passed with 32 votes in favor and 16 against. All 16 votes against adding the word mother were from Democrats. That means Republicans supported including language that is respectful to Black and native Spanish-speaking communities. It’s hard to imagine that such a blatant disregard on the part of Democrats toward a demographic that typically votes for them will not have an impact. The fact that Republicans showed more respect should serve as a wake-up call. While Black Democrats may or may not base their vote on gender-neutral language, this is likely to be added to the list of grievances that the Black community has with the Democratic party.
To Rep. Porter and the other courageous Democrats, “pregnant person” is culturally and racially insensitive. The need for cultural sensitivity didn’t seem to matter to State Representative Jillian Gilchrest, a White Democrat from West Hartford. According to Rep. Gilchrest, “pregnant person” is inclusive enough, and mother should not be added. But if there is to be a claim of inclusivity, those who prefer reality-based terms like mother should also be included. There was a time when Democrats wouldn’t dream of ignoring the need for cultural and racial sensitivity. It is tragically clear that the feelings of Black people, Latina(o)s, and women of all races are of less importance than those who believe they are the opposite sex or claim they are neither male nor female. Article 2 of the Declaration on Women’s Sex-Based Rights reaffirms the nature of motherhood as an exclusively female status. We applaud Rep. Porter for insisting on the use of the word mother in a bill that would increase access to mental health services for mothers and children.
Anthony Nolan, a New London Representative, mentioned that “birthing person” would be received as an insult in the Black community. According to Rep. Nolan, it is unthinkable and disrespectful for a Black person to refer to their mother as a birthing person. Consider phrases like:
Big Mama- a term of endearment for grandmothers in Black/Southern culture
Church Mother- title given to older women who provided spiritual mentoring to younger women and nurturing to those who lost their mothers.
Music references- I’ll Always Love My Mama by the Intruders
The above are only a few examples that show mother is a term of great importance to the Black community.
Including the word mother is also important to members of the Hispanic community. Waterbury Rep. Geraldo Reyes supports the amendment to include the word mother. He opposes the revisionist phrase “pregnant person” in the same way that he opposes the “gender-neutral term” Latinx. Hartford Representative Minni Gonzalez feels that she should be able to fight for her rights, namely, mothers’ right to be acknowledged and included in public policy. The so-called gender-neutral terms favor those who aren’t mothers. Using phrases like “expectant person” or “pregnant person” violates the values of racial and cultural minorities. By forcing this type of language that many find offensive, Democrats risk alienating the nation’s largest minority group.
The debate over gender-neutral language is contentious, with some individuals feeling it is necessary to achieve an inclusive and respectful society. Others believe specific terms, like mother, are intrinsic to their culture. The only way to create an inclusive society is to respect the values of each culture. The Connecticut Democratic party does not appear to support such a value, as evidenced by the very little support of a racially and culturally inclusive word like mother. It is essential to use language that is respectful and inclusive to minority as well as majority communities.
We can only hope that this is the beginning of a wave of Democrats standing up and speaking out against the tyranny known as gender identity ideology.
Lorraine Nowlin
Coordinator, WDI USA Black Women’s Caucus
