House of Representatives leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Representative James McGovern have brought gender identity to the Congressional floor. On Friday, House leaders announced, “the Rules Package for 117th Congress includes a proposal to replace gendered language referring to a representative’s family members with gender-neutral terms” reported the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Apparently, it is now inappropriate to ask a Democratic representative how their “daughter” or “son” is doing. McGovern’s announcement stated that the resolution would change “pronouns and familial relationships in the House rules to be gender-neutral or removes references to gender, as appropriate, to ensure we are inclusive of all Members, Delegates, Resident Commissioners and their families – including those who are nonbinary.”
Specifics include changing references to fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, husbands, wives and sons-in-law to be changed to “parent, child, sibling, spouse, or parent-in-law.” Instead of aunt or uncle, stepparents, and siblings-in-law, extended family will be referred to as “child’s parent.”
Other changes include using “seafarers” instead of “seamen,” “chair” instead of “chairman” and instead of “submit his or her resignation” it will simply be “resigns.” The rules package is to be voted on when the new Congress assembles. The package also includes reforms to ethics, accountability and inclusion.
Pelosi is thrilled with the proposal, stating, “Thanks to the leadership of Chairman McGovern and our Members, Democrats have crafted a package of unprecedented, bold reforms, which will make the House more accountable, transparent and effective in our work to meet the needs of the American people.” As the Daily Caller points out, Pelosi still has “mother” and “grandmother” in her Twitter bio. How insulting!