West Virginia legislators have introduced a bill aimed at removing what they deem "woke" and potentially "sexist" or "exclusionary" language from official state communications. The proposed legislation mandates the use of "female-affirming" terms in government documents, websites, publications, and verbal interactions.

The bill specifically targets terms like "pregnant people," proposing the use of "pregnant women" instead. Similarly, "womxn" or "womyn" and "birth-giver" would be replaced with "woman." These changes extend to terminology related to breastfeeding and pregnancy, favoring terms such as "breastfeeding" over "chestfeeding," "breast milk" over "human milk," and "breast fed" over "body fed" or "person fed."

While proponents of gender-neutral language argue it promotes inclusivity, critics in West Virginia contend that such terms are artificial and create confusion. The debate echoes recent controversies surrounding the CDC's guidance on chestfeeding for transgender and non-binary individuals, which drew criticism from medical professionals concerned about potential health risks for infants.

This proposed legislation in West Virginia comes amidst a broader national discussion about the use of inclusive language and the role of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. It follows reports of the CDC instructing its researchers to remove specific gender-related terms from scientific publications, including "gender," "transgender," "pregnant person," and "LGBT," among others.

House Bill 2406, backed by 11 delegates, is slated to take effect on June 1st. West Virginia University has also recently scaled back its diversity, equity, and inclusion programs due to allegations of reverse discrimination, further highlighting the ongoing debate around these issues.