Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signs executive order removing ‘woke’ language from state documents
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – An executive order signed at the state Capitol on Thursday will remove what Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders called “woke” language from state documents.
The governor said the language order was being signed in defense of women.
“Enough trying to erase women and girls,” the governor said. “Enough trying to erase our biological differences from men.”
Sanders was surrounded by women as she made the announcement, including state lawmakers.
Sanders then added, “Today, we’re taking a stand against woke nonsense.”
The governor gave examples of what she considered woke terms such as “pregnant people,” “birth giver” and “laboring person,” calling them “nonsense terms.”
Arkansas Surgeon General Dr. Kay Chandler spoke after Sanders, calling the executive order “just common sense.”
“Our governor won’t let political correctness get in the way of science,” Chandler said.
During questions, Sanders said there was one specific instance of the language being used at the state’s health department, but that other instances of the language had been reported to her office.
Tension after Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders asked about podium at news conference
Non-gender-specific terms for childbearing have been used in describing transgender people participating in the child-bearing process.
The executive order is titled “Executive Order to Eliminate Woke, Anti-Women Words from State Government And Respect Women.”
Initial precepts in the order are: “Whereas: Women are women,” followed by “Whereas: An XX chromosome is an XX chromosome. The science is clear and real.”
The order calls out specific words, such as “chestfeeding,” mandating that “breastfeeding” be used. Another example is where “birthing person” not be used and “birth mom” be the mandated term.
The calls out other gender-neutral terms and ends by addressing the words “womxn” and “womyn,” and instead mandates the use of “woman.”
The “xn” and “yn” spellings were first adopted by feminists in the 1970s to remove the perceived sexism of “man” from the original spelling. It has since been adopted as a more transgender-inclusive spelling.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com.
