Sarah Huckabee Sanders Clamps Down on Gender-Neutral Language in Official Arkansas Documents

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Thursday enacted an executive order mandating gender-specific terminology in official state documents.

According to the Arkansas Advocate, this move aims to preserve femininity against what the governor calls “woke, anti-women words.” The publication is unrelated to The Advocate.

The executive order necessitates the replacement of gender-neutral terms with “female-affirming” alternatives, such as using “pregnant woman” or “pregnant mom” instead of “pregnant person” and “breastfeeding” instead of “chestfeeding.”

During a speech at the order’s signing, she emphasized her stance according to prepared remarks, saying, “We are all here to say enough. Enough trying to erase women and girls. Enough denying our biological differences from men. Enough of the craziness taking over our country.”

She further criticizes progressive ideologies of utilizing “nonsense words to erase women and girls — and more importantly, to erase our voices and experiences.”

“Today, we’re taking a stand against woke nonsense… It’s the Left that decided that ‘woman’ is a dirty word. It’s the Left that decided that we needed to toss out basic biology — and basic grammar along with it,” the former White House press secretary for former President Donald Trump said.

Related: Sarah Huckabee Sanders Signs Trans Bathroom Ban Bill Into Law

However, the scientific and medical communities acknowledge gender dysphoria is real with established and effective treatment protocols that affirm individuals’ gender identities. Those treatments are supported by major medical organizations like the American Medical Association

Contrary to Sanders’ assertion about “basic grammar” being disregarded, using the singular “they” is grammatically correct and not a new concept in English. It’s a practice with historical precedent and is recognized by reputable linguistic authorities.

Fox News reported that Sanders, 41, shared the executive order with them first, highlighting the importance of recognizing biological distinctions between men and women, a stance that has drawn criticism for disregarding the experiences and identities of transgender, nonbinary, and genderfluid individuals.

The Log Cabin Republicans, a conservative LGBTQ+ organization, supported Sanders’s move, posting on X, formerly known as Twitter, “Good move from @SarahHuckabee to push back on the radical left- more should follow her lead.”

This executive order emerges amid a broader national conversation on gender-neutral language, with various states, workplaces, and educational institutions adopting “culturally conscious” or “inclusive” language initiatives.

These initiatives aim to foster an inclusive environment for all individuals, regardless of gender identity.

Critics argue that Sanders’ executive order discriminates against transgender and nonbinary individuals, emphasizing that not all individuals with the ability to bear children or menstruate identify as women.