Sarah Huckabee Sanders bans “woke language” in Arkansas

Anti-LGBTQ+ Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) has issued an executive order that prohibits “the use of woke, anti-women words for official state government business.”

The order instructs all state government offices and agencies to replace inclusive terms with feminine ones: “woman” instead of “menstruating person,” “breastfeeding” rather than “chestfeeding,” and “birth mom” instead of “birth-giver,” for example. These terms are often used to be more inclusive of transgender, nonbinary, and other gender non-conforming people. Some, like “chestfeeding,” are only used in LGBTQ+ contexts.

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In her address before signing the order, Sanders said, “We are all here to say, frankly that we’ve had enough — enough trying to erase women and girls, enough denying our biological differences from men, and enough of the craziness that is taking over our country.”

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“On the left, women have taken a backseat to political correctness…. It’s the left that decided that woman is a dirty word. The left that decided we needed to toss out basic biology and basic grammar along with it,” she continued. “They’re using nonsense words to erase women and girls and, more importantly, to erase our voices and our experiences. Today, we’re taking a stand against woke nonsense. But frankly started as a fad among a few grad students has seeped down into corporations, the healthcare industry and, increasingly, state government. It’s demeaning to women. It needs to stop.”

It’s not surprising that Sanders would champion such a policy. In March, she signed a law prohibiting trans students from using bathrooms that match their gender identity. In February, she signed a bill reclassifying drag performances as adult-oriented entertainment. In March, she signed a “Don’t Say Gay” law, banning classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation before fifth grade, as well as another bill allowing anyone who received gender-affirming care as a minor to sue their doctor up to 15 years after they turn 18.

Different kinds of “socially conscious” and inclusive language, often championed by progressives and social justice advocates, have become a favorite target of right-wing conservatives. However, other institutions have embraced the cultural shift towards inclusive language.

In July, House Democrats introduced legislation that would replace masculine pronouns in U.S. law with gender-neutral language. For example, when referring to the head of a federal agency, the Code’s language would be changed from “he” to the name of the actual position, like “the Secretary.” Similarly, gendered jobs like “fireman” or “policeman” would be changed to gender-neutral terms like “firefighter” or “police officer.”

Though there’s little chance the legislation would gain enough Republican support to pass either congressional chamber, in a statement, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) said the bill would make federal law “more inclusive to members of the LGBTQ+ community, especially gender-nonconforming, nonbinary, and intersex individuals.”

Pressley noted that a 2015 study found that masculine job titles, like chairman, made other people see men as more fitting for high-status leadership positions than women. She also pointed out that several states have also similarly revised their own laws, including Minnesota, New Mexico, Ohio, Oregon, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Arkansas ranks among the worst states for education and child welfare.