Tech billionaire Elon Musk took a swipe at Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers’ proposed changes to state law that replace gendered terms with neutral alternatives. In a post on X, Musk wrote, “Hi Mom, I mean ‘inseminated person.’ This is crazy!!” reacting to the Democratic governor’s budget proposal.
Evers’ 2025-2027 fiscal budget recommendations include replacing terms such as “mother” with “inseminated person” and “paternity” with “parentage.” Other revisions swap “wife” and “husband” for “spouse,” while “father” is changed to “parent” and “mother” is replaced with “parent who gave birth to the child.”
The language changes have drawn sharp criticism from conservatives. Wisconsin radio host Dan O’Donnell called the revisions “beyond parody” in a post on X, while Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah responded with “red flag!” The Republican Governors Association (RGA) also condemned the proposal, calling it a “left-wing push” that disrespects motherhood.
“Being a mother is the greatest privilege I will have in my lifetime, and every mother I know feels the same,” RGA executive director Sara Craig said. “If Tony Evers can reduce motherhood to an ‘inseminated person,’ then our society is lost.”
Musk also criticised the terminology, calling it “messed up.”
The controversy comes amid broader debates over gender-neutral language in the US. In recent years, terms like “chestfeeding” instead of “breastfeeding” and “birthing person” instead of “mother” have sparked intense discussions.
Former President Donald Trump has firmly opposed such changes. On his first day back in office, he signed an executive order titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” stating that “sex is not a synonym for and does not include the concept of ‘gender ideology.’”
Earlier this month, Trump issued another order, “Keeping Men out of Women’s Sports,” aimed at banning transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports. During a White House event, he clashed with Maine Governor Janet Mills over his policies, warning that states refusing to comply could lose federal funding.
