Ohio U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), in an updated version of a bill originally filed in 2015 and then re-filed in the U.S. Senate last year, changed the word “women” to “persons” to describe pregnant mothers.
In 2015, Brown introduced the Healthy Motherhood and Midwifery (MOM) Bill, which at the time would have required health insurers to offer special enrollment periods to pregnant women if it became law.
Brown’s text original The 2015 draft law contained 22 references to the word “women” and 19 to the word “motherhood”.
However, Brown updated version The draft bill tabled in December 2023 omits the word “women” from the text entirely, instead referring to pregnant mothers as pregnant “persons” or “individuals.”
Brown, who has served in the U.S. Senate since 2007, was endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) PAC, which describes itself as “the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization.”
When it comes to pregnancy, HRC, in accordance with its websitesays that “lesbians, gay men, bisexual men, and cisgender queer women and transgender men and non-binary people who were assigned female at birth” can experience pregnancy.
“We must do everything we can to support our LGBTQ friends and neighbors and ensure they are protected from discrimination in all its forms,” Brown said. he said after approval by the Human Rights Council.
In addition to HRC, the Brown campaign recently shot a coalition called “LGBTQ+ Ohioans for Sherrod” that aims to attract LGBT votes for Brown in the November 5 general election.
When the coalition formed earlier this year, Brown said, “While too many politicians seek to divide and distract us, I believe our state is stronger when we treat every Ohioan with the dignity and respect they deserve.”
In the November 5 general election, Brown will face Republican Party candidate Bernie Moreno, who is endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at Ohio Star AND Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
