Read on Twitter
Here a thread on why the term "pregnant people" not only benefits trans/nb people but also many cisgender women like me who prefer the term "pregnant people" over terms like "pregnant women" or "pregnant mothers" ->
@xryouthcambs @GreenRupertRead @maladroit2025
@xryouthcambs @GreenRupertRead @maladroit2025
1. For centuries we have been trying to liberate ourselves from reproductive pressure. Women are PEOPLE first. We face enough pressure re: having biological children or not, especially as climate activists.
2. Not all pregnancies are wanted. For people who have unwanted pregnancies, using the word "mother" is a very loaded and problematic term.
3. For many of us a mother is something you learn to be while doing the parenting - it is not something we feel immediately or that is just "innate" to women. Other people will foster/adopt (like me) and will never experience pregnancy. Motherhood =/= pregnancy.
4. Many people suffer from pre/post partum depression or medical complications such as miscarriages. Pregnancy and birth can be traumatic and delay a bond between parent and baby. The term "mother" is an emotional term that often puts a lot of pressure on a pregnant person.
5. Many of us have trans/non-binary friends and family and we want them to feel loved and to be included. We do not feel offended or threatened by the use of terms like people/ person, because women are also people. "Pregnant people" is medically accurate and neutral language.
There is nothing wrong with using the term "pregnant woman" or "pregnant mother" if that's what someone personally connects with. However, starting with the term "pregnant person" helps us focus on the only thing that is immediately relevant: a person's pregnancy.
