All childbearing people have the right to safe, effective, respectful care, including and especially the care of midwives. NACPM affirms our commitment to oppose the oppression of LGBTQIA2S+ people, including our commitment to oppose homophobia, transphobia, and violence or exclusion based on sexuality, gender expression, and family structure.
Equity is essential to our ability to effectively advocate for midwives and childbearing people. Our NACPM chapters are uniquely positioned to work for equity in their local communities and nationally, and NACPM supports them in their efforts.
NACPM stands behind the recent efforts of our NACPM Pennsylvania Chapter and other advocates around the country to oppose Midwifery Today’s discrimination against LGTBQIA2S+ midwives in their choice of venue for their conference. We stand with their statement that: “Midwifery Today’s choice of venue is discriminatory, callous, and behind the times. Exclusionary policies based on race, sexual orientation, or lifestyle have no place in the midwifery community.”
We urge our members to consider deeply what it means to spend time and money on subscriptions and conference attendance if they are out of alignment with your values. When some of the content is homophobic or racist, even when it is not a majority of the content, it influences the conversations we have about midwifery, and it ultimately impacts the care we provide. Magazines and conferences can be an entry point to the profession and a community for isolated midwives. They shape the profession, and it is time to expect that a sustained commitment to equity is a basic expectation of our midwifery organizations and publishers.