Happy Mothers Day Whanau Koutou Katoa

Happy Mother's Day to everyone who cares for another being regardless of your gender.
What is a mother? A mother has given birth to a child or raised one from a different mother. Or you may have brought someone from the LGBTQI community into your home, or a stray or feral creature and cared for them. That's how I, a Westerner define mother..

But are there more mothers out there, and how or where did this tradition of honoring them begin?

The first internet response came from KPOP help on Reddit, so in honoring Asian American and Pasific Islander history month (and my car's AI which told me about it) I will include KPOP's answer.

What does “mother” mean in kpop?
byu/mirawrites inkpophelp

I hear people say it sometimes on Twitter and it’s always westerners, I don’t think there’s an exact equivalent in Korean so it seems to be an English only thing and also mostly American. I know it started out as a term gay men used because it pertained to drag queens in some way (seemed to mean someone who was good/cool but probably more specific than that). Now though I hear it used in kpop forums and even Meghan Trainor released a song about being a mother (which I think she means in the same way) so it’s a little confusing to me how the word has changed and what it means now.

Can someone tell me what it means (specifically in kpop if that’s different from how it’s used generally by westerners) and who are some idols who qualify as that? Thanks!

SifuHallyu answered:

Mother is a term that originated in Ball culture in the 80s. Back when people were being thrown out of their homes for being gay, getting infected with HIV, dying in droves, and rejected by society. Gay people would join a "house" led by a mother. Their called Mother of the house of name. They formed familial units, lived together and performed in Balls. This was also adopted by Drag culture.

If you're interested in the topic watch Paris is Burning, it's a documentary about this. Pose is a realistic three season drama that showcases houses and ballroom culture well. Lastly, Legendary on HBO is a competition show featuring houses that are still active which is very good.

If someone is being called MOTHER, this means they are a boss, in charge, fierce, and have a group around them that they "raise" as their adopted children.

A lot of Kpop idols may be called Mother, but the term really doesn't apply to most idols.

And I'd like to say Happy Mother's Day to my friend from FaceBook, De'Anne Jackson. She is always so supportive of me and nearly always calls me 'mother' which I assumed to be a term of endearment. But apparently, it means a lot more being said by Māori people

De'Anne prefaces all her posts with Whanau Koutou Katoa which is Māori and means "You are all family". Happy Mother's Day Queen Mother De'Anne Jackson. You have done more good than you will ever know.

De'Anne posted this video on her profile page. It's a perfect example of who she is.

Judge rules that parents rights were not violated when child transitioned at school

Amber Lavigne shows the "breast binder" that she found in her child's room.
Screenshot Gold Water Institute YouTube

A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by a Maine woman who accused school officials of encouraging her teen’s gender expression by providing a chest binder and using a new name and pronouns, without consulting parents, the AP reported.

U.S. District Judge Jon Levy acknowledged his decision that a mother such as Amber Lavigne “might expect school officials to keep her informed about how her child is navigating matters related to gender identity” but he concluded that she failed to establish legal claims for which the school district, or employees named in previous claims, could be held liable,

Related: Aug 14, 2023 (Reuters) - A federal appeals court on Monday ruled that a group of parents could not challenge a Maryland school district's policy against telling parents if their children identify as transgender or gender nonconforming.

A 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel ruled 2-1 that three parents in Montgomery County, Maryland, lacked standing to challenge the policy because they had not alleged their children were transgender in the first place.

It's important to note that throughout the video Amber Lavigne misgendered her child and failed to acknowledge that they may have been suffering from gender dysphoria. She said she had conversations with them about 'anxieties' but didn't say wheither they broached the subject of gender identity.

Amber Lavigne told the Goldwater Institute, a right-wing group, that she was the victim and sued the school because she felt her 'parental rights were violated'.

Too many trans youths end their own lives because their parents refuse to accept them as they are. Much of the mother's concern is that the school helped with the child's chest binder. It is common for trans masculine people to wear chest binders. Properly fitted they are safe. But tragically many youths use ace bandages for this purpose and those have been known to cause broken ribs. I applaud the school for helping this trans child. And I hope the child's mother gets educated and accepts her child as they are.