Bill Shorten Scraps Gender Neutral Term ‘Birthing Parent’ From Medicare Forms
Image: Minister for NDIS and Government Services Bill Shorten.
Government Services Minister Bill Shorten has ordered the removal of the gender-neutral term 鈥渂irthing parent鈥� from Medicare forms and that 聽鈥渕other鈥� be used instead.聽
A number of forms asking for a child鈥檚 鈥渂irthing parent鈥� when enrolling for Medicare was rolled out as part of a trial program in three hospitals, under the previous Coalition government.聽
Shorten confirmed the term 鈥渂irthing-parent鈥� would be scrapped after a Queensland mother posted to social media, alleging that the term was 鈥渁lienating and derogatory鈥� towards parents.
Sall Grover shared her story to Twitter, telling her followers that she had scratched out the label and instead written, 鈥渕other鈥�. She tweeted on Tuesday, 鈥淭his absolute bullshit is exclusionary, alienating and derogatory towards every woman who wants to be and is called mother.鈥�
鈥淲hen I was informed of this situation yesterday, I instructed the responsible officials they should cease,鈥� he said via Twitter.聽
3/3 They will be replaced with new forms that use the word mother, not birthing parent, which is consistent with other Medicare forms.
— Bill Shorten (@billshortenmp)
Transphobic And Homophobic Decision聽
Shorten’s intervention won praise from the likes of former Liberal candidate for Warringah Katherine Deves, who had deleted her Twitter account over past transphobic posts.聽
Shorten鈥檚 response has been heavily criticised by LGBTQI advocates and individuals alike, who argue that this move is an attack on the queer community.聽
Indigenous Studies Professor Sandy O鈥橲ullivan called the removal of 鈥榖irthing-parent鈥� as both transphobic and homophobic.聽O鈥橲ullivan posted to 聽that the term was used on forms for two main reasons, 鈥渂ecause a child has two mothers and it identifies which gave birth to them, or because they have a parent who is trans (a man or non-binary or agender) who birthed them.聽
Medicare forms offer parents the option to identify themselves as the child鈥檚 鈥渂irth mother鈥�, 鈥渂iological father鈥�, or write an alternative term which best represents their relationship to the child.聽
Inclusion Is Not Erasure
Trans equality advocate for Equality Australia Jackie Turner explained that 鈥渘ot everyone who gives birth can accurately be described as a 鈥榤other鈥欌��.聽
鈥淚t is the role of the government to ensure services and programs respond to the needs of everyone, including trasngender and gender diverse parents,鈥� Turner said.聽
She added that inclusive terminology that 鈥渞espects how different people refer to themselves鈥� was important in order to ensure everyone would be able to access the 鈥渟ervices and support they need without discrimination.鈥澛�
CEO of Transgender Victoria Mama Alto condemned Shorten鈥檚 decision, declaring that inclusion was not erasure in a public statement.
Alto asserted that the inclusive language used on an official form would not take away the right of someone to choose being called a 鈥榤other鈥�, but was 鈥渟imply being inclusive to a broader range of people.鈥澛�
She reminded people that, despite sensationalist rhetoric by mass media and the conservative right, trans people were not a threat to women or reproductive and bodily rights. 鈥淚t is extreme right-wing views that are removing reproductive rights and women鈥檚 consent and choices over women鈥檚 bodies; and it is those same views that also attack trans inclusion, and challenge transgender people鈥檚 consent and choices over our own bodies.鈥澛�
鈥淚nclusion is not erasure – so let鈥檚 not erase inclusion,鈥� Alto said.聽
