Not a Day for Non-Pregnant Parents

As Father’s Day approaches, Republican lawmakers are urging Governor Cathy Hochul to reject a proposal they deem overly progressive. This legislation aims to alter child custody and parentage laws by removing the terms “mother” and “father.”

The new gender-neutral terms, suggested by Hochul’s fellow Democrats, would replace “mother” with “pregnant parent” and “father” with “non-pregnant parent” or simply “parent” in various facets of family law. Hochul has signaled her intention to sign the bill into law.

Republicans, however, expressed their concerns in a letter to Hochul, referring to this move as mere “virtue signaling.” They argue that replacing “father” with “non-pregnant parent” undermines the vital role fathers have in their children’s lives, a sentiment articulated by state Senators Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick, Bill Weber, and Alexis Wake.

“Usually, the first words a child learns are ‘mom’ or ‘dad,'” they remarked. “As mothers and grandmothers, we recognize the unique contributions that mothers make to families and communities.” They continued, criticizing the term “expectant parent” as an offensive reduction of motherhood to something less significant.

Despite some Democrats opposing the bill, Hochul’s office dismissed critiques as unfounded, asserting, “A mother is a mother and a father is a father. There is no law that alters that.” They added their disapproval of Republicans attempting to camouflage ineffective policies with distractions.

The bill, awaiting Hochul’s decision by year’s end, is backed by state Sen. Luis Sepulveda and Rep. Amy Paulin, who argue it’s necessary to clarify language concerning surrogacy in same-sex marriages. Critics counter that the bill could have achieved its goals without entirely omitting traditional parental terms.

The Republican letter suggested that modifying the law’s language could enhance clarity while retaining important definitions linked to “fatherhood.” Notably, the bill would also rephrase “paternity” as “parentage procedure” and redefine “putative father” to include any accepted parent, even if deceased.

It’s worth noting that the bill garnered swift passage through Albany during May’s legislative break, with only minimal discussion.