NJ hospitals ask parents to ‘identify' pronouns and sexual orientations of newborn babies
As if coming up with a great baby name wasn't hard enough.
Newborns can't even control their own movements, but that isn't stopping New Jersey hospitals from asking parents for their baby's preferred pronouns and sexual orientation.
Inspira Health's 'Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Questionnaire' requires new parents to 'identify' their babies as either 'Male, Female, Transgender, Gender Queer,' or 'Additional gender category.'
It further asks parents to select the word that best describes their infant: 'Lesbian or gay, Straight or heterosexual, Self-described, Questioning/Unsure.'
The healthcare system — which operates four hospitals, two cancer centers, and eight health centers throughout South Jersey — created the form last year to comply with a newly-enacted Garden State law that required health care providers 'to collect race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity in a culturally competent and sensitive manner.'
But many, from parents to politicians, think the newborn survey is absurd.
'That form is completely crazy, and anyone who would dictate a baby's sexual orientation probably has an agenda,' said Sandy Anello, 34, a mom of two living in Bridgewater, NJ. 'If I was told to fill this out, I'd rip it up in front of them. It feels like we've entered 'The Twilight Zone.''
'Identifying my baby as gay on Day 1 is insane,' offered Jersey City mom-to-be Carsen Rodgers, who is due in April. 'I had no idea about this form and I'm shocked.'
New Jersey State Sen. Holly Schepisi (R-Bergen) told The Post, 'The entire thing lacks such common sense, and serves no purpose whatsoever.
'As a mom myself, I know you're exhausted after giving birth, you've got a crying newborn and you're trying to figure out how to feed it. To be handed that sort of form in the midst of all that has no medical value, it makes no sense.'
Schepisi shared a photo of the form on Facebook, sparking disbelief, with many commenters questioning the picture's authenticity.
The lawmaker said she will introduce a bill next week to revise the New Jersey mandate's language, limiting the collection of such data to patients 16 and older.
Schepisi said the state measure was a last-minute addition to a package of bills approved by Trenton on June 30, 2022.
'What was the genesis of this bill?' Schepisi wondered aloud. 'How did it move so quickly with barely any committee hearings on it?'
Schepisi suspects someone is buying the demographic data from the state and 'using it for some sort of purpose.'
Democratic New Jersey State Sens. Joseph Cryan and Angela McKnight introduced the bill on June 23, 2022. They refused to comment.
Democrat Herbert Conaway, a former assemblyman who was elected to the House of Representatives last year, also worked on the bill.
'The bill was modeled after an Indiana statute and is designed to provide public health officials with the data they need to develop public health measures that effectively serve all New Jerseyans,' Conaway said in a statement to The Post.
'Good policy depends on the availability of complete and accurate data. Under the law, hospitals are required to collect and report demographic data on the patients they serve; however, no patient or parent is obligated to answer any question that makes them uncomfortable.
'Newborns are not subjected to this data collection because parents are not required to fill out the form. Many health decisions for newborns are left to the parents' discretion.'
Representatives for NYC hospitals said they do not collect such data.
An Inspira Health representative said the questionnaire is 'required by New Jersey law' and noted parents 'are permitted to decline to provide this information.'
Inspira had sought a waiver from the state but that hasn't yet been granted.
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