Readers Respond: An Argument Against “Pregnant People”
I challenge Therese Bottomly’s arguments relating to âpregnant peopleâ (âLetter from the Editor: Inclusive Language Enlightens Change in Society,â December 19). It doesn’t matter how some people âidentifyâ. If they are pregnant, they are women, it is only a biological fact. Biology is a science; it is not based on personal identification, but on scientific facts.
Bottomly’s argument that â1.2 million Americans identify as non-binaryâ does not make sense. It doesn’t matter if it’s “more than the population of the city of Seattle or San Francisco.” It represents less than 0.4% of the American population. And to compare the adoption of Mme with the adoption of âpregnant peopleâ (soon to be âpregnant menâ?) Is a slight exaggeration. One refers to stopping the immediate reference to a woman’s marital status, the other to a biological impossibility.
The fact that a government document refers to pregnant people is irrelevant in today’s ultra-politicized atmosphere. I can almost guarantee that if one “ultra-progressive” person in government used this expression, few would have the courage to point out the absurdity of it; they would be afraid of being labeled with all kinds of unappealing adjectives.
Gabriel Farkas, Portland
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