The Wrong Side of History
At Toronto Family Doulas, we aren’t exactly afraid of controversy. We don’t shy away from taking a stand for what things we believe in, and sometimes those things are political. So it came as a surprise this week, that when a significant conflict arose, we hesitated to speak out. We didn’t hesitate because we couldn’t see clearly what the right and wrong of the situation were, we hesitated because of who we were condemning with our words.
Ina May Gaskin.
Hers is a name that often inspires women. She has, for so many years, been a leader and innovator in terms of midwifery and birth care. She has been a respected advocate and leader. Her books, her birth commune, her words, have all been immortalized and used to bring about change.
She is standing on the wrong side of history, and we can no longer remain silent.
On September 13, 2015, the Midwives Alliance of North America released an updated Core Competencies document. This document outlines the pillars of care that midwives are expected to adhere to (world wide, as the same Core Competencies are used by the World Health Organization). The update was a simple one; it made the language more inclusive. MANA chose to remove references to “mothers” and “pregnant women” and instead refer to “pregnant people”, “birthing parent” or simply “individuals”. This is a radical change, because it seeks improve access to midwifery care to all, not just those who identify as “women” or “mothers”.
In short, MANA, has recognized that the depth of human experience is not defined by what is between a person’s legs.
And let’s be real, does it really hurt to refer to someone as a “person” instead of as a “woman”?
Ina May and many others have formed Woman-Centered Midwifery and written a petition asking MANA to revert back to their previous language. Their open letter denies the reality of many individuals; that their biological status and their gender identity are different. Toronto Family Doulas disagrees with the group, Women-Centered Midwifery. We will not look back in 10 years and know that we stood on the wrong side of history. We believe that the aim of that group is in direct opposition to the fundamental pillars of midwifery care; person-centred care, judgement free support, and bodily autonomy.
Sometimes, when you fight so long and so hard for something, you become the very thing you were fighting against.
We believe, that in this case, the leaders who have fought so long for individual rights in birth have gotten lost on the path. We are not lost. We will support you, without judgement, in the manner that is best for your family. We are proud allies of the LGBTQQIA community. We are happy to use your preferred pronoun and form of address. We will ask questions about your family make up, only so we can serve you better. We support you, regardless of your orientation, gender identity, marital status or family make up. Get in touch today to find out how Toronto Family Doulas can support your family.