What is the fear really about?

How does more inclusion for one group make other groups see more division?

Serious question for my audience.

The conversation arose the other day that "we are going too far now" in reference to mothers being called birthing parents.

I explained the difference between sex and gender.

Said that intersex people exist.

Said that gender is a construct and that non binary people can have biological children.

Spoke of the fact that many women can't give birth.

Explained that in a healthcare setting it's more inclusive to say things like "birthing clinic" rather than "maternity infant ward" and to say "infant feeding" rather than "breastfeeding."

Explained that I'm a mom and the birthing parent... my husband can't have that title. And that I'm still a mom.

Spoke about parents being an all-inclusive term.

Spoke about adoptive parents not being birth parents - language we've had a while.

Spoke of the fact that mothers can still exists and we don't have to lose the term on our path to more inclusion.

I went on and on about how it makes perfect sense to me in a world where men can and do have children, to be more inclusive in our language.

The person I was chatting with saw this as divisive rather than inclusive.

How? 🤷🏾‍♀️

They they said they didn't believe I truly felt this way, they thought I was saying these things because I have to as a #DEI practitioner.

They said a lot of other bigoted and strange things that I will spare you.

Then they said that people who are trying to make things more inclusive for everyone are causing more harm than good.

I suggested the same logic was applied by white supremacists who thought Black people shouldn't have equal rights.

Then she, a white woman, backed down.

So I ask, how does pushing for more inclusion create more division.

Why are some people so pressed about human rights and equality? What are they losing if we give more to others? What are they gaining by ensuring less is given to others?

What is the fear really about?