At a time when our government is asking people to minimize, deny, or hide their various identities, it’s nice to see that there are still some institutions that are making an effort to recognize people and their intersectionalities. Still, there are times when labels just aren’t necessary. Sometimes, human beings simply don’t need to be categorized. That is certainly the case when we first enter the world. It’s typical that society assigns a sex to newborn babies, but one hospital took it a few steps further and asked New Jersey moms if their newborns were straight or gay.
It all began during the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2021, when Gov. Phil Murphy, signed a law requiring hospitals to collect more demographic data from its patients, NJ.com reported. Years later, the mandate has gotten a little out of hand. Now, hospitals are apparently asking pregnant and postpartum mothers to identify the sexual orientations of their children. The questions appear to start as “normal.” “What sex was your baby assigned at birth?” one question reads.
Then things take a turn toward the bizarre. “Which of the following best describes your baby? Lesbian or gay; straight or heterosexual; bisexual; questioning/unsure; prefer not to answer.” The form, provided by at least one NJ hospital run by Inspira Health, says the questions are a requirement under state law. The goal of the questionnaire is to allow the hospital to provide a “safe and compassionate experience.” Patient participation in the data collection is voluntary.
But the questions are tainting the patient experience. Lillie Mingle said she was shocked when she first received the packet from the hospital. “…and then disgust set in,” she said. “Regardless of my own personal beliefs, the language used alone was very troubling.” Mingle shared the question on social media, which prompted other moms to share similar experiences.
In response to this, state Sen. Holly Schepisi, a Republican from Bergen, plans to draft legislation to amend the law and “introduce some common sense.”
“I understand why for certain populations, this information could be helpful for finding appropriate care in the event someone is trans, gay, bisexual,” Schepisi said. “But this is not a common sense approach. Having to ask if a newborn child is gay is just stupid,” she said.
More than just illogical, Schepisi says providing this optional questionnaire to parents is an “absurd waste of medical professionals’ time and resources.” She says the form serves no purpose in providing care to a newborn baby. Mingle, who is in her third trimester, says she doesn’t blame the nurses who are simply doing their job. Still, Mingle finds it odd that the hospital never asked her to answer these questions on her own behalf.
