The US state of Vermont has advised its residents to stop referring to their children as son and daughter and instead use gender-neutral words such as “child” or “kid” to promote inclusion within American families.
The Vermont Department of Health claimed in a Facebook post on Wednesday that the use of the term “child” is not only gender-neutral, but also takes into account those who may not be “someone’s legal son or daughter.”
“The language we use matters!” the Ministry of Health wrote on the social media app. “When talking about family, it is important to use terms that cover the many variations of what family can look like.”
A leaflet entitled “Inclusive Language for Families” urged the state’s residents to “use ‘child’ or ‘kid’ instead of ‘daughter’ or ‘son.'”
The agency also asked residents to stop referring to their grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins as “extended family” and stressed that they should be referred to as “family.”
The leaflet stated that the relatives mentioned were “important parts of the central family unit” and implicitly stated that their demotion to “extended family” would worsen their relationship position.
According to the Vermont Department of Health, “household members” should be eliminated in favor of “family members.”
The ministry argued that the term “household members” was not all-encompassing and did not include divorcees, incarcerated parents and step-siblings.
“Not all families live in the same home – think of divorced or incarcerated parents and step-siblings,” the department said.
The post, which has received over a thousand comments, has already sparked debate on Facebook, with some commenters mocking the Vermont Department of Health for dealing with trivial matters.
“I’m glad you’re focusing on the important aspect of healthcare, like not calling your son your son,” commented Mark Morrison, a Facebook user. “You people are insufferable.”
“I will not compromise my common sense for the sake of someone else’s madness,” Cody Stewart wrote in a comment on the post. “This is probably the most absurd thing I have ever read from a government,” wrote Peter Morrison.
“Wow. Your audacity to tell parents how to raise their children is mind-blowing,” wrote Tonya Dodd.
However, users like Victoria Yo and Margaret Luce disagreed. Yo supported the move, arguing that children growing up in foster care may not have people to call them sons or daughters.
“Wow, a lot of people here don’t care if foster kids feel included,” Yo wrote on Facebook. “The use of ‘child’ or ‘kiddy’ is not about gender at all, it’s about family dynamics. I would never refer to one of my foster children as my son or daughter because they are not, they are someone else’s son/daughter, they are my children. Please stop with all this fake outrage.”
“Good suggestions,” Ms. Luce praised the health department. “There are many different families and using inclusive language encourages conversations and relationships.”
