What do you call someone who gives birth to a baby?
A woman? A mother?
Some left-wing Massachusetts politicians are now eschewing those terms. Instead, they’re going with “birthing people”.
U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-Dorchester) used the term during her virtual town hall on Monday night. It wasn’t the first time she had used the term, and she’s not the only Massachusetts politician who uses it.
“Our bill, the MOMMIES bill, will extend mandatory and permanent Medicaid coverage to a full year postpartum in order to care for birthing people and their babies,” Pressley said during the town hall appearance Monday, November 8.
And while you won’t find Pressley’s more moderate Boston colleague U.S. Representative Stephen Lynch (D-South Boston) using the term, some members of the Massachusetts Legislature say “birthing people,” as well.
State Senator Becca Rausch (D-Needham) has used it more than the rest. She has tweeted about “birthing people” 11 times since April 2020.
The most recent tweet came on September 17. Rausch tweeted: “Thrilled to share that I secured $100,000 in the FY 22 budget for @MassDPHto research prosecutions of pregnant and postpartum people and upstream interventions. By better understanding the gaps in our care for new parents, we will better support birthingpeople in MA. #mapoli“
Fellow state Senator Joan Lovely (D-Salem) also uses the term “birthing people.”
On the issue of postpartum depression on October 5, Lovely tweeted, “As Co-Chairs of the @PPDCommission we understand how critical it is that birthing people get the services they need. #MAPoli.”
Members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives use the term “birthing people,” as well.
That includes state representatives Kay Khan (D-Newton) and Natalie Blais (D-Sunderland).
Khan used the term last year when tweeting at Rausch. She tweeted, “Thank you, Senator! So grateful to have your partnership on #ReproductiveJustice issues this session! H/T to @BayStateBirth and @MAMaternlEquity for their tireless advocacy on behalf of pregnant & birthing people! #mapoli #LegalizeMidwivesMA.”
And Blais tweeted this past June, “The Racial Inequities in #MaternalHealth Commission invites you to a remote public meeting & listening session focused on #WesternMA on June 22, 2021, at 6PM. The Commission especially wants to hear from People of Color, including moms, dads, birthing people & partners. #MAPoli”
So why do people use the term? It stems from the belief that not just women can get pregnant and have children. It includes men, women, and people who identify as a myriad of genders.
The pro-abortion organization NARAL Pro-Choice America explained why left-wingers choose to use the term on Twitter earlier this year after some people mocked U.S. Representative Cori Bush (D-MO) for using it.
“When we talk about birthing people, we’re being inclusive,” NARAL wrote. “It’s that simple. We use gender neutral language when talking about pregnancy, because it’s not just cis-gender women that can get pregnant and give birth.”
Although still uncommon to this day, the term was virtually non-existent up until a few years ago. While one can now find the term used several times per day by verified Twitter accounts, it was virtually unheard of before 2019.
The press offices for Pressley, Rausch, Lovely, Khan, and Blais could not be reached for comment on Tuesday or Wednesday this week.
New to NewBostonPost? Conservative media is hard to find in Massachusetts. But you’ve found it. Now dip your toe in the water for two bucks — $2 for two months. And join the real revolution.
