In a bid to make more people feel included, an organization announced that workplaces shouldn’t be saying “mother” and “father,” but this father has spoken out against the idea in a viral outburst.
Erasing “Mother” and “Father”
A government-funded group has urged workplaces to stop the use of the words “mother” and “father” to promote inclusivity.
A father’s strong reaction to the workplace advice caused quite a commotion.
ACON, a group focused on queer health, are the ones behind the controversial idea, releasing a training video for extra clarity.
Instead of ‘mother’ or ‘father,’ they suggest using ‘primary caregiver’ and ‘secondary caregiver.’
Inclusive Language
The unconventional suggestion aimed to make everyone feel included, especially members of the LGBTQ+ community.
The video suggested, “Using terms like ‘primary caregivers’, ‘secondary caregiver’, making sure we’re not referring to partners using gender terms like ‘mother’, like ‘dad’, is really important.”
The aim is to break away from old-fashioned gender ideas, making workers feel more included if they don’t identify as male or female.
A father and radio host named Ben Fordham wasn’t pleased, calling the idea “nutty.”
“I Will Not Be Identified as Anything Other Than a Mother or Grandmother.”
Fordham said in a Facebook post, “‘This is a group that doesn’t want anyone saying ‘mothers’ or ‘fathers’. If you’re taking advice from this mob, you need a check up.”
Listeners joined the conversation, with one person saying, “I am a woman and proud of it. I will not be identified as anything other than a mother or grandmother.”
Another suggested stopping public funds to groups like this, and the ABC, Australia’s main media company who support the organization behind the idea.
Fordham’s message to those who agree to this change was clear, “Pay them out of your own pocket,” he raged.
Taxpayer Money Funding the Changes
ACON is a group that gets money from the government and organizations like ABC.
This means taxpayer money supports their ideas, and some people don’t agree with how this money is being used.
ACON responded to the backlash, arguing that they want to help make workplaces better for everyone, especially LGBTQ+ employees.
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Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Ciprian Alexandru
