New York Democrats are advancing a bill that aims to replace gender-specific terms for parents in certain sections of state laws with gender-neutral language. For example, changing “father” to “parent,” “mother” to “gestational parent,” “father and mother” to “parties,” and replacing “filiation” with “parentage.”
The bill was initiated by Luis R. Sepúlveda, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a Democratic senator from the Bronx. It involves amending various laws such as the Family Court Act, Civil Practice Law, Divorce Law, Administrative Law, Judiciary Law, Social Services Law, General Obligations Law, Vehicle and Traffic Law, and Education Law by replacing traditional familial terms with neutral vocabulary.
The bill was passed in both the Senate and Assembly on Tuesday, with only awaiting Governor Hochu’s signature to take effect.
According to the bill, the amendment primarily focuses on the terminology used in government legal texts and official documents, it does not dictate how private families should address their parents, nor does it restrict the titles people use in their daily lives. Therefore, even if the law takes effect, residents are not required to use gender-neutral terms, and there will be no legal repercussions. However, individuals may find it challenging to interpret abstract legal terms when reading official documents, leading to increased complexity in understanding. There are concerns that future occasions like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day may also face renaming pressures.
The vote on Tuesday saw the bill passing with 38 votes in favor and 23 against. Supporters included familiar names in the Chinese community such as Senator Liu Chunyi from Flushing, Assemblywoman Toby Ann Stavisky, Senator Brian Kavanagh from Chinatown, Senator Andrew Gounardes from Bay Ridge, and Senator Sam Sutton from Sheephead Bay. Opponents included Senator Chen Xueli from Bensonhurst, with some Chinese community members abstaining from the vote.
Supporters argue that this move aims to reflect the diversity of modern family structures and ensure that legal language encompasses non-traditional family forms. Critics believe that this is another example of New York Democrats erasing traditional family titles from official government terms and suggest that this action is unnecessary and out of touch with the daily lives of most people.
Republican Senator Chen Xueli, who opposed the bill, took to Facebook to express his concerns, highlighting the increasing trend of such bills under Democratic control of the Senate. He urged voters to consider changing the power structure in the Senate in future elections, stating, “Don’t expect any good laws to be passed. Just stopping these absurd things is hard enough! This situation started in 2018, and it has been a one-party dominance.”
Following the news of the bill, criticism began to surface in many Chinese WeChat groups. Eddie, a resident of Sheephead Bay, voiced his disapproval, stating, “Democratic politicians talk about caring for people’s livelihoods every day, but what ordinary folks care about are public safety, education, housing, and tax reduction. Yet, they’re busy changing the terms ‘mom and dad’ in the law to various politically correct labels.”
He added, “Such bills waste taxpayers’ time and money without solving any real problems. If Democrats continue to control the Senate, these absurd bills will only increase. To protect family values, more people who oppose these bills must enter the State Legislature.”