LITTLE ROCK, Ark — Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has signed a new executive order eliminating what she refers to as "woke" and "anti-woman" words from state government.
Sanders made the announcement Thursday, Oct. 19 surrounded by other women, saying they've had "enough trying to erase women and girls" and "denying our biological differences from men."
The executive order would ban numerous words from state government including the terms "pregnant people, laboring person, birth-giver" and more. The order also bans the use of "womxn" and "womyn" as well as "menstruating person."
The governor said that this elimination is meant to provide a distinction between the role of a "man" and a "woman," which she claimed has been erased due to "woke agendas."
Gov. Sanders accused these terms and others as being "politically correct" and also accused it as forcing women to take a "back seat" to men. The governor said she has seen at least one instance of what she called "woke language" being used by the Arkansas Department of Health.
The state's health department reportedly issued a memo where it used the phrase "pregnant people," according to a Fox News article published over an hour before Sanders' press conference.
She believes these terms began as a "fad among a few grad students" and further accused the terms of "seeping" into businesses and institutions like healthcare, state government, and corporations.
"Some on the left will accuse us of being nitpicky, that Arkansas should just lay down and accept the cultural revolution without complaint," Sanders said. "I say it's the exact opposite. It's the left that decided that woman is a dirty word."
The governor described the term "woman" as "basic biology" and "basic grammar."
Dr. Kay Chandler, Arkansas Surgeon General, claimed this ban "stands up to those who are trying to erase women in the name of political correctness."
"I know our governor won't let political correctness get in the way of science," Chandler said.
We reached out to ACLU to comment on Gov. Sanders' most recent executive order. The group called the move by the governor "divisive" and said that the executive order aims to "erase" the identities of transgender, non-binary, and other marginalized communities in Arkansas.
The ACLU provided the following statement in response to the governor's executive order:
"Governor Sanders’ executive order is yet another attempt to erase trans people. It is a regressive and desperate step that ignores the rich tapestry of identities and experiences that make up our diverse state, employing divisive rhetoric that only serves to stigmatize and exclude transgender and non-binary Arkansans, as well as those who do not fit within traditional gender norms. This order dismisses the valid concerns and experiences of marginalized communities and effectively attempts to erase their identities.
Rather than taking such divisive actions, Governor Sanders should spend more time effectively leading our state and less time attacking Arkansans for her own self-serving purposes. The rights of transgender and non-binary people should never be sacrificed for political expediency. It is vital to remember that the government’s role is to protect and uphold the rights of all its citizens, regardless of gender identity or expression.
We stand firm in our commitment to defending the rights and dignity of all individuals, including transgender and non-binary people. We will continue to advocate for policies that promote inclusivity, protect civil liberties, and create a more just and equitable Arkansas."