With several women standing at the lectern behind her, Arkansas Governor, Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed Executive Order on Thursday to “eliminate woke, anti-women words from state government and respect women.”
While Sanders did not give specifics on instances of words or phrases that she has encountered or that was reported to her office, there is a list of words in her Executive Order that she is banning. The following includes some quotes from the Governor at the press conference, as well as a few from Dr Kay Chandler, the Surgeon General for the State of Arkansas. She is also an obstetrician and gynecologist.
“Today, we’re taking a stand against woke nonsense,” the Governor began. “In a moment, I’ll sign an executive order, banning a number of all sorts of ridiculous words from state government documents.”
Dr. Chandler stated, “The Governor’s executive order doesn’t require a medical degree to understand. It’s just common sense.”
Regarding the executive order, Chandler said, “It stands up to those who try to erase women in the name of political correctness.”
One reporter asked the Governor if there were examples of state documents that use words like “pregnant people.”
See the video of the press conference below, as well as the full Executive Order and list of banned words.
The Governor’s reply was, “We have seen specific instances that have happened in state government and have been reported in other places in state government.”
When asked how many instances, she said, “Does it matter if there’s one? Is that not enough? How many times should a woman have to be insulted before we stand up and say we’ve had it? Like, it shouldn’t even take one time, but one instance to me is enough to stand up and say that we can do better and we will.” She further stated, “I’m not keeping a running tally, but I have seen one specific instance and we’ve had a number of other instances that have been reported to our office.”
When asked what agencies, Sanders said, “Specifically, at the Health Department.”
One reporter started a question that used the word “offensive” but was cut off by Sanders. “It’s not that they’re offensive, it’s that they are scientifically wrong and that’s a different thing.”
When the reporter said she said earlier that it was insulting, Sanders said, “I think it is insulting to women to define them as something other than what they are, and to take away experiences that are so specific to them that cannot be that cannot be created just by saying them into existence.”
See the video of the press conference below, as well as the full Executive Order and list of banned words.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS COME – GREETINGS:
EXECUTIVE ORDER TO ELIMINATE WOKE, ANTI-WOMEN WORDS FROM STATE GOVERNMENT AND RESPECT WOMEN
WHEREAS: Women are women;
WHEREAS: An XX chromosome is an XX chromosome. The science is clear and real;
WHEREAS: There are things only women can do, like perform the miracle of birth;
WHEREAS: Government should reject language that ignores, undermines, and erases women;
WHEREAS: Government should celebrate gender distinctions between men and women—not erase them; and
WHEREAS: It is the policy of this administration to prohibit the use of woke, anti-women words for official state government business.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS, acting under the authority vested in me as the Governor of the State of Arkansas, do hereby order:
(1) All state offices, departments, boards, and commissions are prohibited from using exclusionary, sexist language in official state government business, effective immediately.
(2) In official government documents, the following exclusionary and sexist terms shall be replaced with accurate, female-affirming alternatives:
a. Rather than “pregnant people” or “pregnant person,” use “pregnant women” or “pregnant mom.”
b. Rather than “chestfeeding,” use “breastfeeding.”
c. Rather than “body fed” or “person fed,” use “breast fed.”
d. Rather than “human milk,” use “breast milk.”
e. Rather than “birthing person,” use “birth mom.”
f. Rather than “laboring person,” use “birth mom.”
g. Rather than “menstruating person” or “menstruating people,” use “woman” or “women.”
h. Rather than “birth-giver,” use “woman.”
i. Rather than “womxn” or “womyn,” use “woman.”
IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and cause the Great Seal of the State of Arkansas to be affixed this 19th day of October, in the year of our Lord 2023.