A "mother" doesn't always refer to a woman now, is what has happened.
It never did. 'Mother' has always had an additional linguistic sense of performing the role of being a mother, and anyone can do that. We talk about 'Mother Earth' or 'mother ship'. "Mother" is a male character in the avengers.
However, 'Mother' also has a specific legal sense and this is the sense that is used in maternity legislation.
In the case of Freddie MacConnell, the judge acknowledged in all possible ways that Freddie is a man, but it was beyond the court's powers to reflect that on the birth cert.
Not really. The judge recognised that Freddie MacConnell has an 'acquired sex', but although The GRA is very confused, it has never pretended to change anyone's biological sex, which is why there are exceptions for situations where sex is relevant. The point of the GRA is to preserve privacy. It can't change material reality.
I also believe this ruling has unintended consequences, such as handing some power to anti-abortion campaigners, and whilst many women feel they are mothers from the moment the test turns blue, many do not, and this ruling does them no favours.
You write as though this is all new to you. Women have always had a complicated relationship with pregnancy and the role of being a mother.
In reality very few people in the UK are completely anti-abortion and very few people are completely pro-abortion. The discussion, in this country at least, is about the middle ground.
Many pregnancies are unwanted, and many people who give birth do not want to be mothers. We still need clear language to describe the relationship of being a mother. The worst mother on the stately homes thread is still a mother.