Giving birth should be an emotional experience filled with excitement, anticipation, faith, and happiness. But for one woman in Australia, that expectation was destroyed by the “ridiculous” healthcare form she was given to sign, which referred to her as a “birthing parent” rather than a “mother.”
Sal Grover of Australia’s Gold Coast enraged mums everywhere on July 19, 2022, when she tweeted a photo of the document she was required to sign, saying: “We are addressed to as “birthing parents” on the form for adding our newborn kid to our Medicare card. Enough now. This nonsense is discriminatory, isolating, and demeaning to any woman (who) aspires to be and is referred to as a “mother.”
Attention women in Australia:
— Sall Grover (@salltweets) July 19, 2022
On the form to put our newborn baby on our Medicare card, we are referred to as “birthing parent”.
Enough is enough.
This absolute bullsh*t is exclusionary, alienating and derogatory towards every woman wants to be and is called “mother”. pic.twitter.com/li8vQSWGu6
Grover described her dismay at the decision saying she understood enough about women’s rights and the degradation of the language and places and everything, so she realized where it’s coming from.
This excludes a wide range of individuals; it’s simply this horrible demeaning terminology.
It’s revolting to her. It’s obnoxious. It’s to appease the fringe activists and lobbyists who have made such a big fuss over this type of terminology, only to come after them and brand them racists for not embracing it, Grover added, urging individuals who were upset by the term “mother” to “get counseling.”
If the word ‘mother’ troubles one so much, then motherhood will come as quite a surprise, won’t it?
Co-host Ally Langdon, who is a mother, termed the move “inhumane,” but said there may have been an intention to include people.
In March, the new form was presented. It was being tested at three hospitals by the government agency Services Australia, which reported that the adjustments were mostly well received.
The form permits a kid to be added to a parent’s Medicare card, granting them access to free or reduced-cost medical treatments in Australia.
Just hours after Grover’s Today Show appearance, Government Services Minister Bill Shorten confirmed on Twitter that the language on the form will be changed back to “mother.” Shorten was praised by Grover and her supporters, but she was also criticized of bowing in to social media pressure. He then explained to the media that he was only attempting to “disarm nasty culture battles.”
Lets keep speaking up, ladies. It works 💗🙋♀️
— Sall Grover (@salltweets) July 20, 2022
I’ll be back on @TODAYshow at 8:40am to talk about this! pic.twitter.com/dgFbAAbdbw
There are many individuals who believe the word ‘mother’ is exceptional and worthwhile, and others who believe their identity is excluded – everyone has a valid point of view.
They simply need to become better at not having to choose one over the other, he remarked.
However one approach to parenthood – it’s priceless, Shorten added. It’s not just a label; it has significance and individuals who want to identify in other ways should be able to do so as well. Cancelling one does little to further the idea of diversity and acceptance.
Grover praised the improvement over the one she had regarded as being too close to a gloomy future.
On government documents, being termed a ‘birthing parent’ is too similar to ‘A Handmaid’s Tale’ for her liking.
Women and men alike flooded Grover’s social media with supportive remarks.
“This is insane, enough with insulting our lovely mothers,” one tweet said.
“It is beyond disrespectful to equate this to the act of birth. It’s just incorrect “another person added a remark
“In a few generations, we’ll be using birthing pods and having test tube babies. If it feels dehumanizing, that’s exactly the goal” another tweet stated
“This is absurd – you are a mother if you give birth. Why is language being modified for the sake of a TINY minority who *might* be upset rather than the majority who will not?”
“What is with this fixation with forbidding women?”
Not all agreed with Grover, who said the amendment will help clear up any uncertainty in circumstances like surrogate moms.
“Our daughter was born to my wife’s ex-wife. What on earth do they want us to put there? ‘Inclusiveness’ is once again extremely exclusive “one user commented
“My son refers to me as Mumma, and my partner as Mummy. He was raised by two moms. There is nothing that is exclusive. It’s really more inclusive and helps distinguish which Mother is giving birth “@SaraSassypants posted a tweet.
“Wouldn’t that also include surrogates? They carried and delivered the child, but they will not be the mom.”
In response to Grover’s tweet, another user responded, “It’s just a form.” “Are you any less of a mother as a result of a form that you might have seen just once but decided to immortalize in your tweet?”
Grover thought that the modification in form would act as a reminder to women that they should not be scared to speak up for themselves.
It’s incredible. Perhaps, it simply motivates more women to stand up when we see this silliness, whether it’s with our rights, language, space, sport, or anything else to say, “No, we’re not having this.”
