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If you have labored alongside the Family Institute of Connecticut for as many years--nay, decades--as FIC has been defending the simple truth that "male and female he created them," take a bow. It took quite a bit longer than we would have liked. But biological reality is finally asserting itself at our state Capitol.
In a Committee meeting last week, Rep. Robyn Porter, a New Haven Democrat who is a member of the legislature's Black and Puerto Rican Caucus (BPRC), amended a bill referencing "pregnant persons" to also include the phrase "expectant mothers."
Now, in any sane society, "pregnant persons" would be the controversial phrase. But this is Connecticut in 2024. A fight broke out between Democrats over whether to include "expectant mothers."
As quoted by the Hartford Courant, Rep. Porter spoke like a normal person, not an ideologue:
“My children call me mother, Ma, mommy... I don’t answer to pregnant person or birthing person...So I find it an affront that someone would try to tell me that what they’re putting on paper for the purpose of policy covers me when I’m telling you that it doesn’t.”
Rep. Jillian Gilchrest, a white Democrat from West Hartford, sought to lecture the black Democrat from New Haven on the need to be inclusive:
“Pregnant person is actually the inclusive term,” Gilchrest said... "As we talk about DEI, this is the direction we are hoping to move in in this state and ideally across the country."
Rep. Porter was unimpressed:
“We want to talk about discrimination? Well, I’m here to tell you that Black people in America know that very well. … This is where I really get frustrated in this building because what we say is dismissed, disregarded, disrespected. … I’m always asked to compromise when I come to the table, and I’m expected to do so. … We were mothers first. Yes, times are changing, and I’m fine with that because that’s life. … But you don’t get to grow, and you don’t get to talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion and exclude me and the other women like me who identify as mothers. You don’t get to do that.”
Rep. Minnie Gonzalez, a Hartford Democrat who is also a member of the BPRC, added:
"I think nothing against them. But it’s like year by year by year, in this building, people they are not part of the LGBTQ, we losing rights. And I don’t think it’s fair.”
Rep. Geraldo Reyes, a Waterbury Democrat who is a leader of the BPRC said, “Culturally, as a Puerto Rican person, there is nothing more sacred than a mother… Just as I opposed the word Latinx, I oppose the word expecting person.”
Rep. Anthony Nolan, a New London Democrat, expressed astonishment at the white Democrats opposing Porter's amendment. “In Black culture, who really are ingrained with that word mother... We’re just asking to add something that is dear to those that are speaking in regards to it, especially in the Black culture.”
The Black and Puerto Rican Caucus were not the only members of her party astonished at Rep. Gilchrest's opposition to "expectant mothers." Sen. Joan Hartley, a Waterbury Democrat, was overheard muttering “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph” into a hot microphone after the vote.
It sounds crazy, we know. But this is our Connecticut legislature in 2024, where crazy is normal and normal is treated as if it were crazy.
You can watch the video yourself, on Kevin Rennie's blog. As Rennie notes, "Senator Martha Marx (D-New London) suggested adding 'pregnant fathers' to the bill." These antics have made our state government an international laughingstock. Twitter ("X") was particularly brutal.
The amendment passed, the bill was then advanced out of Committee, with only Rep. Gilchrest voting no. In a "victory lap" afterward, Rep. Porter took direct aim at Gilchrest, writing that "to be told that the term [pregnant persons] is inclusive is blatantly inaccurate.” Rennie adds that the private Democratic caucus that preceded the vote on the "expectant mothers" amendment "was thick with sanctimony."
Here at FIC we are quite familiar with the sanctimony of our state Capitol's pro-transgender ideologues. But what does this new development--pushback from the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus--portend?
First, as columnist Chris Powell writes, "Nearly everyone knows more biology than Gilchrest and her colleagues in transgenderism ideology pretend not to know." Objectives like "allow[ing] schools to conceal a child’s gender dysphoria from his or her parents...would never gain much public support if they were to be forthrightly legislated."
What Rep. Porter, and the bipartisan coalition that passed her "expectant mothers" amendment, have done is to expose to the light of the day the insidious agenda that has been quietly gaining ground in Connecticut law for years. FIC has been all about fighting this for over a decade and for this year especially.
Secondly--and we know this is behind a paywall, but--the Waterbury Rep-Am newspaper published a crucial editorial this week noting the class divide on transgenderism in the "expectant mothers" debate between Porter and Gilchrest. Nearly all the support for "expectant mothers" comes from our impoverished cities. Gilchrest, meanwhile, speaks for affluent West Hartford.
What Can Be Done?
This Saturday, April 13th, from 1-3 pm at the state Capitol in Hartford, there will be a Don't Mess With Our Kids Rally. FIC executive director Peter Wolfgang will be one of the speakers. We encourage all our members to attend.
The website for the rallies--which are happening in state capitals throughout the country--is here. The Facebook event group for the Connecticut rally is here.
So disheartening. It’s sad to see humanity fall so far. To lie and push propaganda that’s blatantly false is an attack on sanity. How did we get here? (Obama). Marxism wrapped up with a rainbow strapped to the Trojan unicorn. To be clear this is being pushed by your elected leaders who know what they are doing to weaken the fabric of the greatest country on the planet. We know this is not reality and let’s vote in people who are serious about getting back to Making America Great Again.