Would you call your mum an ‘inseminated person’? New proposal sparks debate

Language changes in official documents can spark intense debate, especially when they touch on deeply ingrained social and cultural norms.

A recent proposal has ignited a heated discussion, with critics calling it a step too far and supporters arguing it provides necessary legal clarity.

The backlash has been swift, drawing reactions from political figures, media personalities, and the public alike.


A proposal to revise gendered language in Wisconsin state law sparked intense backlash, with critics labelling it ‘woke virtue signalling’ and supporters defending it as a matter of legal clarity.

Democrat Governor Tony Evers’ administration introduced a budget recommendation for the 2025–2027 fiscal period, suggesting changes to several terms in state law.

The proposal replaced ‘mother’ with ‘inseminated person’, ‘paternity’ with ‘parentage’, and swapped ‘father’ for ‘parent’.


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Proposal to replace gendered terms sparks backlash. Image source: Pexel/Janko Ferlic


References to ‘wife’ and ‘husband’ were changed to ‘spouse’.

Additionally, ‘mother’ was also rewritten as ‘parent who gave birth to the child’ in certain contexts.

Wisconsin’s Joint Committee on Finance introduced the budget last week, but the language changes quickly became the focus of public and political debate.

Republican State Representative Amanda Nedweski criticised the changes, writing: ‘If you believed mums are mums, and dads are dads, then there would be no need for this change. Apparently, Evers believes dads can be mums too.’

Wisconsin State Senator Andre Jacque said: ‘If I called my mother an inseminated person, she’d probably slap me for good reason.’

Wisconsin State Assembly Speaker Robin Voss weighed in, saying: ‘Once again our woke DEI-loving Governor reminds us just how liberal and out of touch today’s Democratic Party really is.’


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Language changes spark heated political debate. Image source: www.news.com.au


The Republican Governors Association (RGA) also condemned the proposal, with executive director Sara Craig stating: ‘Evers’ latest left-wing push is offensive to mothers. Being a mother is the greatest privilege I will have in my lifetime, and every mother I know feels the same.

‘If Tony Evers can reduce motherhood to an “inseminated person” then our society is lost.’

A radio host in Wisconsin highlighted the language changes in a post on social media, calling them ‘beyond parody’, which drew further criticism from political figures.

Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah responded to the post with ‘red flag!’.


Billionaire Elon Musk reacted by writing: ‘Hi Mom, I mean “inseminated person”. This is crazy!!’

Governor Evers did not mention the language revisions when introducing the budget, instead focusing on tax relief, property tax protections, and infrastructure improvements.

Later, speaking at an event at a public library, he defended the changes, insisting they were intended to provide legal certainty for IVF procedures.

‘What we want is legal certainty that mums will be able to get the care they need,’ Evers said.

‘That’s it, end of story.’

He dismissed Republican criticism, adding: ‘What the Republicans say is a lie, so of course I’m pretty (p***** off) about that. It gives people using IVF legal certainty. That’s it…Mums are mums. Dads are dads. What we want is legal certainty.’

He did not elaborate on how the removal of gendered terms would impact IVF accessibility.


Debates over gendered language have intensified in recent years, with discussions on terms such as ‘chestfeeding’ instead of ‘breastfeeding’ and ‘birthing person’ instead of ‘mother’.

Former President Donald Trump directly addressed the issue upon his return to office.

He signed an executive order titled Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.

The order declared it official government policy ‘to recognise two sexes, male and female.’

It asserted that they are ‘not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality.’

It also specified that ‘sex’ is not a synonym for ‘gender ideology’.

Earlier this month, Trump issued another order, Keeping Men out of Women’s Sports, aimed at barring transgender athletes from competing against women.


In a previous story, Australians voiced their frustration over what they saw as ‘woke’ coverage of a major event.

The controversy sparked widespread debate, with many questioning the changes made to long-standing traditions.

Read more about the backlash and why it caused such an uproar here.

Key Takeaways

  • A Wisconsin budget proposal replacing gendered terms sparked backlash, with critics calling it ‘woke virtue signalling.’
  • Governor Tony Evers defended the changes as necessary for IVF legal clarity, while Republican leaders strongly opposed them.
  • Public figures, including Elon Musk and Senator Mike Lee, mocked the proposal on social media.
  • Former President Donald Trump signed executive orders reaffirming traditional sex definitions and banning transgender athletes from women’s sports.

Language is constantly evolving, but should legal terms follow suit?? Does this go too far?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
 

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