ALBANY, NY – New York State legislators have advanced a bill to the governor's desk that proposes replacing the terms "mother" and "father" with gender-neutral designations like "gestating parent" and "non-gestating parent" in various state laws. The legislation also seeks to change "paternity" and "filiation" to "parentage," and "putative father" to "alleged parent," primarily impacting family court and domestic law. Governor Kathy Hochul has a 10-day window to sign or veto the bill.
The core of the legislative push, according to its proponents, is to modernize New York law to better reflect diverse family structures, including same-sex couples, adoptive families, and surrogacy arrangements. This move aims to align legal terminology with the realities of modern families, acknowledging that legal parenthood may not always be tied to biological ties. Legal experts and attorneys suggest the bill is largely a vocabulary adjustment rather than a creation of new legal rights, with the state court system expected to implement the changes through revised forms and practices if enacted.
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Critics, however, decry the bill as an unnecessary and "insane" rewrite of established language, arguing it erases traditional familial terms and the identity associated with them. Concerns have been raised that this linguistic shift strips away relational bonds, replacing them with detached, clinical descriptions. The legislation has become a focal point for political debate, with opponents suggesting lawmakers are prioritizing ideological pursuits over pressing state issues such as affordability and taxes.
The bill, which passed the New York State Assembly in March and the Senate recently, now awaits Governor Hochul's decision. Hochul has stated she is not yet familiar with the proposal but will review it. The shift, if signed into law, would affect legal proceedings and official records pertaining to parental identification and responsibilities.
Background on the Legislation
The proposal stems from a desire among some Democrats to update state statutes, which they argue are outdated and fail to encompass the spectrum of family formations recognized today. Supporters point to existing laws, like the Child-Parent Security Act, which already addresses parentage in cases of assisted reproduction, as precedent for modernizing legal language.
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Opponents, including Republican lawmakers and conservative commentators, have voiced strong opposition, labeling the bill "woke" and a symptom of an out-of-touch legislature. They argue that traditional terms like "mother" and "father" hold deep cultural and emotional significance that cannot be replaced by clinical jargon. This opposition has manifested in social media reactions and public statements from various political figures, framing the bill as an attack on established societal norms.
