Don’t say “son” and “daughter” because those terms are not inclusive enough, the Vermont Department of Health recently said.
Vermont’s public health agency is under fire over a Facebook post where it urged its state’s residents to stop saying “son” and “daughter” and instead use gender-neutral terms like “child” and “kid.”
“The language we use matters! Many families and students are getting ready for the new school year,” the Vermont Department of Health said in its August 28 Facebook post. “Equity in the classroom is an essential piece of a productive and healthy learning environment. When talking about family, it’s important to use terms that cover the many versions of what family can look like.”
Here is what the part of the post that drew ire said:
Inclusive Language for Families
Use “child” or “kid” instead of “daughter” or “son.”
This is gender-neutral and can describe a child who may not be someone’s legal son or daughter.
Say “family members” rather than “household members.”
Not all families live in the same home — think divorced or incarcerated parents, stepsiblings, etc.
Say “family” rather than “extended family.”
Often grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins are important parts of a core family unit.
Online reactions to the post were overwhelmingly negative.
For example, one Facebook user named commented, “maybe ill call my children whatever i’d like, and the government can mind their business and go back to lying and stealing.”
Another user referred to the Vermont Department of Health as the “woke police.”
“How about letting people say what they want and stop being the woke police?” the man wrote. “If any of these terms offend you ‘daughter’, ‘family’, etc. then you have the issue, not the person saying it.”
A third person said he has no plans to stop using the terms.
“My son will always be my son and my daughter will always be my daughter,” the man commented. “This is ridiculous. It is your responsibility as a parent to teach and lead your children. That means teaching them the importance of fact over feelings.”
A fourth user said his children disagree with the post.
“My son and daughter think this is stupid because that is what they want to be called,” he wrote. “Members of my household and extended family feel the same.”
And a fifth user commented, “Someone needs to be fired at the VT Department of Health.”
The Vermont Department of Health issued a follow-up comment on its post due to the negative reaction from Facebook users.
“This post was intended to encourage using inclusive language when you don’t know someone’s family situation,” the state’s public health agency wrote. “This is especially important in settings like classrooms, afterschool programs, and sports teams. Using language that includes everyone helps children feel seen, respected, and valued no matter how their families are structured.”
A spokesman for the Vermont Department of Health could not be reached for comment on Thursday or Friday.
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Photo by K Whiteford | Public Domain 
