Trump mocks 'gestating parent' legal terms: 'Can't say Hi Mom, must say Hi Gestating'
US President Donald Trump's sarcastic jibe at modern legal terminology has set off a debate in America over the language used for parenthood.
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A remark by US President Donald Trump has set off a debate in the United States over the language used to describe parenthood. Criticising modern legal terminology, he made the jibe in a sarcastic tone. "Now you cannot say Hi Mom, you will have to say Hi Gestating," Trump said, in words to that effect. The remark has become a talking point in the US.
Trump and controversy are no new pairing. His personality has always remained in the midst of controversy, and a fresh dispute has now been added to the list.
Saying that people would have to say "Hi Gestating" instead of "Hi Mom", Trump ridiculed the phrase. His statement reflected his stance on modern social concepts and legal language. The remark has prompted discussion about the language used for parenthood and its changing nature.
On what the dispute is about: in legal processes relating to surrogacy and parenthood, terms such as "gestating parent" and "non-gestating parent" are used instead of the traditional words "mother and father". The purpose of these terms is to define the legal role of a parent in different circumstances. However, critics say such terms are changing traditional family vocabulary.
The English word "gestating" relates to the process of a foetus growing in the womb, so the word is linked to pregnancy. The term "gestating parent" can be used for the person who carries the pregnancy. The word Trump took a jibe at is thus tied to the meaning of this legal term.
However, the use of this term does not mean that calling a mother "Mom" is banned. On one side are the words used in legal processes, and on the other is the traditional form of address. Trump's remark has once again brought the difference between the two into the discussion, and the debate now centres on what that difference is.
In short, Trump's sarcastic jibe has revived debate in the US over the vocabulary of parenthood. On one side are the terms "gestating parent" and "non-gestating parent" used in legal processes related to surrogacy and parenthood, and on the other the traditional words "mother and father". The US is now talking about exactly what separates the traditional form of address from modern legal terminology.
