'Mother,' 'Father' Changing to 'Parent One,' 'Parent Two' on Passport Applications

[Gerald]

The words “mother” and “father” will be removed from U.S. passport applications and replaced with gender neutral terminology, the State Department says.“The words in the old form were ‘mother’ and ‘father,’” said Brenda Sprague, deputy assistant Secretary of State for Passport Services. "They are now ‘parent one’ and ‘parent two.’"

A statement on the State Department website noted: “These improvements are being made to provide a gender neutral description of a child’s parents and in recognition of different types of families.” The statement didn't note if it was for child applications only.

The State Department said the new passport applications, not yet available to the public, will be available online soon.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011...ender-neutral/

Note: Published January 07, 2011

[gimpy117]

well the thing is too...if I had gotten a passport when i was a minor via my dad and stepmother... I don't really call her my mother. So i can see how even in a situation where it's not a same-sex marriage situation it would be more politically correct.

Where did you put your name if you were the guardian not the parent?

[TheDarkWraith]

Originally Posted by Vendor

The words “mother” and “father” will be removed from U.S. passport applications and replaced with gender neutral terminology, the State Department says

complete and utter breakdown of American society. Pretty soon robots will be able to be your parents also? What happened to core values, morals, and 'complete' families? Yes I'm an American but every year I see this country going deeper and deeper down the crapper

[Gerald]

Originally Posted by TheDarkWraith

complete and utter breakdown of American society. Pretty soon robots will be able to be your parents also? What happened to core values, morals, and 'complete' families? Yes I'm an American but every year I see this country going deeper and deeper down the crapper

True, something is screwed here,

[Tchocky]

This is clearly the last straw! Stock up on canned food, guys.


Can't see why it's not left as is. I doubt many non-traditional parents take offence.

[Castout]

Originally Posted by TheDarkWraith

complete and utter breakdown of American society. Pretty soon robots will be able to be your parents also? What happened to core values, morals, and 'complete' families? Yes I'm an American but every year I see this country going deeper and deeper down the crapper

I share your sentiment

[Penguin]

I foresee interesting scenes at the passport office:
"Ok, my name is Bill Bonehead, and I am parent one, as I am the father"
"Hey, I am his mother, so I should be parent one!"
"Nancy, we debated this before! Clerk, write my name under parent one!"
"No way, mofo! Take this:" *bang, bang, bang*

[Castout]

Originally Posted by Penguin

I foresee interesting scenes at the passport office:
"Ok, my name is Bill Bonehead, and I am parent one, as I am the father"
"Hey, I am his mother, so I should be parent one!"
"Nancy, we debated this before! Clerk, write my name under parent one!"
"No way, mofo! Take this:" *bang, bang, bang*

Yea the new designation will offend even many more parents.

I suggest parent A and Parent 1.

[mookiemookie]

Originally Posted by TheDarkWraith

complete and utter breakdown of American society.

No it's not.

Pretty soon robots will be able to be your parents also?

No I'm pretty sure they're going to keep it at legal adults.

What happened to core values

Like bigotry?

morals

Like intolerance?

and 'complete' families?

Two parents make a complete family.

Yes I'm an American but every year I see this country going deeper and deeper down the crapper

Hysterics.

Personally I would think that "Guardian" would make a better choice of words here. *Shrug*

[Platapus]

Don't assume this is in response to homosexual couples

Heterosexual couples like The Frau and I would benefit from this.

She is the mother of the kids. What am I?

Unfortunately passport and other government documents don't give me the options of

1. The Guy whats boinkin the mom
2. The Chump who just pays the bills

Until one of those options are open, I will be satisfied with parent 2.

There is a growing number of heterosexual couples in the same "status" as I am.

[Aramike]

Like bigotry?

Mookie, I think you could use a little help in defining bigotry, as it certainly isn't terminology on a document that identifies a child's parents as "mother" and "father", unless you think that nature really screwed up on that one.

To be honest, I don't see this change as an issue. But it IS yet another example of the minority's imposition of political correctness through obfuscation and dilution of meaning for the sole purpose of avoiding unintentional insult to those who find offense in the traditions of the majority.

So, yet again, we decide to bow to such petty demands rather than insisting that those whiney, self-important, easily-offended individuals grow thicker skin.

Why is it that we insist on changing how the MAJORITY percieves the world rather than insisting the the minority try to simply UNDERSTAND that most of us have different values?

[tater]

A friend of ours and his partner adopted THREE older, hard-luck kids from the reservation (in a really bad situation). They adopted all three siblings so they'd have SOME continuity in their sh*tty lives. Now the kids are doing great, and will likely—like their parents—be successful professionals (one is an engineer for the labs, the other a dentist).

They have the disposable income to take their 3 kids abroad on vacation. Why should the form not allow for this?

Tempest, meet teapot.

[TLAM Strike]

Originally Posted by Rilder

Personally I would think that "Guardian" would make a better choice of words here. *Shrug*

Yea I agree. I see "Parent or Guardian" on a lot of forms and it makes sense, not everyone was raised by their parents.

For example I was raised mostly by my grandmother until I was about 10.