Liberal outlet flamed for using term 'birthing people' to describe expectant Black mothers: 'Leftist nonsense'
One liberal Axios reporter defended use of the controversial term, calling it 'inclusive language'
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A liberal news outlet was flamed by critics over the weekend for referring to expectant Black mothers as "birthing people" while reporting on the high rate of pregnancy-related deaths within that demographic.
"Black birthing people in D.C. made up 90% of recent birth-related deaths according to a new study, underscoring the severity of the city’s maternal health crisis," the DCist wrote in a Saturday tweet, linking to an article with its reporting.
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The tweet set off a firestorm of criticism from people angry over the use of the term, as well as some questioning why "birthing people" and "maternal" would be used in the same sentence.
"The saddest part is that these ‘journalists’ don't even realize how bigoted this Tweet about ‘birthing people’ really is. They think they're the good guys in their wokeness as they erase the long history of black motherhood," wrote journalist JD Rucker.
Christina Pushaw, press secretary to Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, questioned how the issue of mortality rates in pregnancies could be solved "without acknowledging that women exist."
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"You’re describing black mothers like livestock," wrote journalist Cassandra MacDonald, while writer Ryan James Girdusky joked, "These black birthing people… did they share anything else in common? Similar organs, chromosome makeup, did they all tell terrible jokes? Could we bundle those people into another category?"
"Using ‘birthing people’ and 'maternal; in the same sentence because you’re committed to leftist nonsense but can’t quite square the circle," tweeted Heritage Foundation media director John Cooper, while writer Chad Felix Greene wrote, "They have successfully dehumanized women, reducing them to a single biological function."
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Columnist Phil Kerpen joked, "Should we tell them what 'maternal' means?"
Some Twitter users appeared upset over the criticism, including liberal Axios reporter Chelsea Cirruzzo, who complained that people were upset over DCist's "inclusive language."
"Really really telling who is upset that the headline uses inclusive language than the actual content of the story which is very very alarming," she wrote.
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Others have also faced criticism for using the term "birthing people," including Dr. Michelle Morse, New York City's chief medical officer, who, earlier this year, referred to White women with the term while calling Black and Hispanic women "mothers."