In an unexpected move, hospitals in New Jersey have started asking new parents to identify their newborns’ preferred pronouns and sexual orientation.
This has sparked a wave of confusion and concern, especially among those who find the questions inappropriate for infants.
The Controversial Questionnaire
State Senator Holly Schepisi recently shared a questionnaire from Inspira Health, a healthcare provider in South Jersey, that asks parents to identify their newborn’s gender and sexual orientation.
The form provides options like ‘male’, ‘female’, ‘transgender’, ‘genderqueer’, or ‘additional gender’ for gender identification.
Additionally, it includes a question asking how parents would describe their newborn, with choices such as ‘lesbian or gay’, ‘straight’, ‘bisexual’, ‘self-describes’, and ‘questioning/unsure or prefer not to answer’.
This move is part of a new state law that mandates healthcare providers to gather demographic data, including sexual orientation and gender identity, in a culturally sensitive manner.
A State Law Behind the Controversy
The healthcare system, which includes four hospitals, two cancer centers, and eight health centers across South Jersey, introduced this form to comply with the A-4385 law passed in 2022.
The law requires that healthcare providers collect data on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity, without specifying an age limit.
This led to the unexpected inclusion of newborns in the data collection.
Senator Schepisi voiced her concerns over the law and promised to introduce new legislation to limit data collection to individuals aged 16 and older.
She described the law as nonsensical and argued that it wastes the time and resources of medical professionals.
Public Backlash and Concerns
Senator Schepisi shared the form on social media, prompting strong reactions from users who were both surprised and outraged by the request. Comments included remarks like, “This is mental illness.
What planet are we on?” and “I can’t even believe this is what they are pushing or worrying about.”
Many questioned why newborns were being asked to identify sexual orientation or gender identity at all.
One user expressed disbelief, stating: “This is horrific, so now parents are assigning sexual orientation to their newborns. Talk about an agenda.”
The Purpose Behind the Law
The bill, introduced by Democratic State Senators Joseph Cryan and Angela McKnight in 2022, was designed to help public health officials gather data to create more effective public health measures.
In response to the controversy, Democrat Herbert Conaway, who worked on the bill, clarified that hospitals were required to collect demographic data, but parents were not obligated to answer questions they felt uncomfortable with.
He emphasized that newborns were not specifically subjected to the data collection because parents had the choice not to fill out the form.
The Response from Healthcare Providers
Inspira Health, the healthcare provider distributing the form, defended the questionnaire, stating that it was required by New Jersey law and that parents had the option to decline providing this information.
Despite the backlash, the hospital system sought a waiver from the state to stop using the form, citing negative feedback from patients.
What’s Next?
As the debate continues to unfold, it’s clear that New Jersey’s law is raising serious questions about how far healthcare systems should go in collecting sensitive data and at what age such data should be collected.