Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers is facing backlash over changes in his budget proposal that replace the words “mother” and “father” with gender-neutral terminology in state law. The revisions, first flagged by State Representative Amanda Nedweski (R-Kenosha), include replacing “mother” with “inseminated person” and “father” with “parent.”

The changes appear throughout the budget proposal, systematically removing gender-specific parental terms. For example, “the mother” has been replaced with “the inseminated person,” and references to fathers now read “the spouse of the person being inseminated.” These edits have drawn sharp criticism from Republican lawmakers and family advocates who argue the language is dehumanizing. 

Lawmakers and Parents Push Back

Critics argue that the terminology reduces motherhood to a sterile biological process, erasing the significance of parents in state law. Nedweski, who first raised concerns, questioned why Evers—who recently stated, “moms are moms and dads are dads”—would remove those very words from Wisconsin statutes.

“This is deeply insulting to every Wisconsin mother,” said Nedweski. “No woman—whether she conceives naturally or through IVF—wants to be reduced to ‘an inseminated person.’ Mothers are more than a biological function. They nurture, sacrifice, and provide for their children in ways that no legal jargon can replace.”

Conservative groups and parental rights organizations have also spoken out against the revisions, calling them unnecessary and offensive.

Evers Defends the Changes

Despite the backlash, Governor Evers has stood by his decision. When asked whether he supported replacing “mother” with “inseminated person,” he responded, “Of course I do.”

Evers has justified the language shift by claiming it is meant to be more inclusive of families who use fertility treatments like in vitro fertilization (IVF). However, critics argue that these changes do not improve IVF access and instead impose clinical, impersonal language that no family has requested.

“Mothers who conceive through IVF are still mothers,” Nedweski countered. “No one using IVF has asked to be called an ‘inseminated person.’ This is about ideology, not inclusivity.”

Political Fallout and National Attention

The controversy has gained national media attention, with commentators and influencers weighing in on it. Elon Musk retweeted it and it went viral across the nation. 

Republican lawmakers have vowed to introduce measures to block or reverse the language changes.