The New York state legislature has passed a bill that would replace the words “mother” and “father” in certain family court and domestic laws with gender-neutral terms.
Under the proposed changes, “mother” would be referred to as a “gestating parent,” while “father” would be replaced with “non-gestating parent” in official legal language.
The legislation also revises terminology used in parentage cases. Paternity proceedings, traditionally used to determine a child’s biological father, would now be described as “parentage” cases. In addition, the term “putative father” would be changed to “alleged parent” in state records.
Supporters of the bill say the updates are intended to make legal language more inclusive and reflective of different family structures. However, critics argue the changes unnecessarily strip traditional terms from the legal system and reflect what they describe as political correctness taken too far.
The bill, sponsored by Democratic State Senator Luis Sepulveda, now awaits the decision of Governor Kathy Hochul, who has said she will review it before making a determination. Republican opponents have strongly condemned the measure, while supporters continue to defend it as a modernization of outdated legal language.
