need parent why we the birthing
a zine by lexibusss
what is a birthing parent?
gender neutral language has become increasingly common in discussions of menstruation, vaginas, pregnancy, and birth.
the term endured ruthless media scrutiny after the largest labor union in the u.s., the national education association, proposed to refer to all mothers as 'birthing parents' in legal documents. the term also briefly appeared in australian health documents.
'birthing parent' is simply the gender-inclusive, gender-neutral term that refers to somebody who has/will give birth.
people with vaginas/vulvas/ uteruses menstruators/ menstruating people people who canget pregnant 'birthing parent' is merely another term in this family of inclusive reproductive talk, and is the less handmaid's tale option when compared to the sometimes used 'birthing person'. to accommodate transgender and nonbinary people, the word ' women ' in these conversations has been replaced by...
why do we even need these terms?
given how inaccessible gender-affirming treatment is, many non-binary and transgender people still menstruate.
additionally, not all cis women menstruate. be it due to injury, illness, or another cause, some cis women are simply unable to menstruate or get pregnant. this can also lead to a feeling of not being a "true" or "real" woman.
menstruation and pregnancy are huge sources of dysphoria for nonbinary people and transgender men.
experiencing a monthly occurrence that is so socially connected to one specific gender, especially one that you don't identify with, takes a great emotional toll on genderqueer people.
some people still hate it. like, really hate it. despite these reasons...
and, to be honest, i felt the same at first. i felt like it was further reducing people with uteruses to their reproductive capacity, ultimately making it even harder to achieve reproductive justice in the u.s.
after thinking about what a birthing parent means a little bit more, i realized something.
"birthing parent" has often been criticized as being dehumanizing.
it helps me to remember these two things:
"mother" is not going away.
one of the reasons i was so opposed to "birthing parent" is because I've always wanted to give birth, and the idea of being referred to as a "birthing parent" kinda felt objectifying. but "mother" is not going anywhere. others identifying as a birthing parent does not affect my ability to identify as a mother.
sex ≠ gender.
sex is biological and gender is expressive. woman is a gender identity, not an anatomy. to refer to only ' women ' when discussing the female reproductive system is to assume that only cisgendered women experience menstruation, pregnancy, etc., which is flat-out incorrect.
if ur still a little confused, that's okay.
Anthony, Abigail. “Who Are People with Uteruses?” National Review, National Review, 14 June 2022, www.nationalreview.com/2022/06/who-are-people-withuteruses/. Anureet. “Menstruators: A Gender Neutral & Inclusive Term for All Our Period Conversations.” SheThePeople TV, SheThePeople, 17 Aug. 2020, www.shethepeople.tv/home-top-video/menstruators-agender-neutral-inclusive-term-for-all-our-periodconversations/.
Claire Ainsworth,Nature magazine. “Sex Redefined: The Idea of 2 Sexes Is Overly Simplistic.” Scientific American, 22 Oct. 2018, www.scientificamerican.com/article/sexredefined-the-idea-of-2-sexes-is-overly-simplistic1/.
making adjustments to existing language is tricky, especially when people's feelings are at stake. if you need more help getting used to gender-neutral terms when discussing reproduction, here are some helpful resources:
why we need the birthing parent
lexibusss, 2022