It’s no secret that the birth rate in the US and other developed countries is declining. Hence, some Republican lawmakers in Ohio have hatched up an idea via a proposed bill, which they think will help nurture what they deem as natural and healthy families, with the goal of reproduction and child-rearing. The problem is, the Ohio bill has received backlash for excluding non-heterosexual LGBTQ+ families and even families with single parents.
The proposal, called the Natural Family Month bill, or more officially House Bill 262, aims to designate the gap between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day as, well, Natural Family Month. Apparently, the long yearly event will then be used to promote and possibly support “natural families.” It was spearheaded by Republican state Representatives Josh Williams and Beth Lear and has now passed the House Committee.
When asked what counts as “natural families” in Ohio, the Republican state Reps. didn’t exactly define it in a strict lexicon, but the bill’s text, on the other hand, excluded other kinds of families, such as those with LGBTQ+ or even single parents. State Rep. Josh Williams also stated that the Natural Family Month is for promoting natural families, “Meaning a man, a woman, and their children—as a way to encourage higher birth rates.”
So, the main goal of House Bill 262 is to boost birth rates in Ohio through heterosexual conception methods. State Rep. Lear also believes that Ohio would become the flagbearer to such a trend that ought to help young– heterosexual couples to form bigger families.
“At a time when marriage is trending downward and young couples are often choosing to remain childless, it’s important for the State of Ohio to make a statement that marriage and families are the cornerstone of civil society, and absolutely imperative if we want to maintain a healthy and stable Republic,” according to state Rep. Lear, transcript courtesy of NBC.
Socio-Economic Factors Notwithstanding?
Funny enough, when Americans were surveyed last year as to why they elected not to have kids, some of the top reasons included financial reasons and simple preference. Those who elected not to have kids also admitted they had more time and money to better their careers and pursue their hobbies and passions.
Another big problem with the proposed House Bill 262, according to critics, is how discriminatory it is towards other family types. LGBTQ+parents, for example, could still elect to undergo IVF or surrogate fertilization, and adoption is also an option– something many people have done since human beings have existed.
Thus, many assume the Republican House Bill 262 to be a harsh potential act that invalidates the hard work of single or LGBTQ+ families. Nothing is stopping even unconventional families from raising children, after all, so they should be offered the same kind of legal recognition.
Other people have criticized the intent of House Bill 262 and its authors, stating as a counterpoint that maybe people will want to reproduce and raise children if the political and economic situations felt safer and more stable. A simple monthly celebration of heterosexual parenting might not do it for the birth rate.
“You know what would really incentivize having more children? Not demolishing social safety nets like Medicaid or gutting the department of education,” argues Nothaz
“It’s almost like people don’t want to bring children into a world that isn’t a safe and healthy place. Who could blame them?,” says EmergencyWerewolf133
“Cool. Trump has three of those ‘families’…” jokes PigFarmer1
“How does having a ‘month’ promote people to have more kids? How about better insurance/cheaper child care?,” questions Steel_Reign
