Biden admin to eliminate terms “mother” and “father”

The Biden administration’s Department of Health and Human Services has proposed that “gender-specific” terms like “paternity,” “mother,” and “father” be replaced throughout child support services regulations within the federal agency.

CatholicVote reports that the regulatory proposal, issued by the by the Office of Child Support Services (OCSS), the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), and the HHS, has yet to be published.

The document “proposes to make changes to replace the gender-specific terms ‘mother’ and ‘father’ with the gender-neutral term ‘parent’ where such terms appear” in federal regulation governing childcare law enforcement.

“Additionally … we propose to remove the words, ‘his or her’ and replace it with ‘their,’” it adds.

The agency also calls upon the “gender-specific” term “paternity” to be replaced with “parentage” for regulation relating to establishing a child’s father so as to be “inclusive of all family structures served by the child support services program.”

CatholicVote notes that the proposal is meant to align with executive orders from President Joe Biden addressing “how the Federal Government should pursue a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all, including members of the LGBTQI+ communities.”