Transgendered pregnancy...

[Ari2]

<r>Any thoughts on the news story about the transgendered person (born female, identifies as male, has not had gender reassignment surgery) who is pregnant? He is legally a male, but his wife couldn't get pregnant so he did. It was first reported in The Advocate:<br/>
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[I<IMG src="http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/uploads/thomas_beatie.jpg"><s>

</e></IMG><br/>
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<COLOR color="Blue"><s></s> To our neighbors, my wife, Nancy, and I don’t appear in the least unusual. To those in the quiet Oregon community where we live, we are viewed just as we are -- a happy couple deeply in love. Our desire to work hard, buy our first home, and start a family was nothing out of the ordinary. That is, until we decided that I would carry our child.<e></e></COLOR><br/>
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<COLOR color="Blue"><s></s> I am transgender, legally male, and legally married to Nancy. Unlike those in same-sex marriages, domestic partnerships, or civil unions, Nancy and I are afforded the more than 1,100 federal rights of marriage. Sterilization is not a requirement for sex reassignment, so I decided to have chest reconstruction and testosterone therapy but kept my reproductive rights. Wanting to have a biological child is neither a male nor female desire, but a human desire....<br/>
<e></e></COLOR><br/>
<COLOR color="Blue"><s></s> Our situation sparks legal, political, and social unknowns. We have only begun experiencing opposition from people who are upset by our situation. Doctors have discriminated against us, turning us away due to their religious beliefs. Health care professionals have refused to call me by a male pronoun or recognize Nancy as my wife. Receptionists have laughed at us. Friends and family have been unsupportive; most of Nancy’s family doesn’t even know I’m transgender....<e></e></COLOR><br/>
<COLOR color="Blue"><s></s><br/>
<e></e></COLOR><COLOR color="Blue"><s></s> How does it feel to be a pregnant man? Incredible. Despite the fact that my belly is growing with a new life inside me, I am stable and confident being the man that I am. In a technical sense I see myself as my own surrogate, though my gender identity as male is constant. To Nancy, I am her husband carrying our child -- I am so lucky to have such a loving, supportive wife. I will be my daughter’s father, and Nancy will be her mother. We will be a family.<e></e></COLOR><br/>
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<COLOR color="Blue"><s></s> Outside the local medical community, people don’t know I’m five months’ pregnant. But our situation ultimately will ask everyone to embrace the gamut of human possibility and to define for themselves what is normal.<e></e></COLOR></r>

 

[1dayatatime]

Wow that is weird. I'm gonna have to wrap my head around that one for awhile.

 

[Lissa]

That's, well....unusual.

 

[ljmahr]

Yeah, they were on Oprah today. I didn't watch but like a minute of it. It would definitely be weird to run into him on the street when he is 9 months along.

 

[hwnorth]

Kudos ... thats a ballsy thing to do (no pun). Many trans gendered persons live in hiding and confusion .. this makes them public eye, obviously .. Very brave move .. kudos

 

[Teresa]

As long as she hasn't had the surgery, I still see it as a woman being pregnant. No big medical miracle or anything like that. I watched the entire Oprah episode yesterday.

Several transgender groups asked them not to go public with this story, as they think it will not be good for transgenders as a group.

 

[meow_173]

Several transgender groups asked them not to go public with this story, as they think it will not be good for transgenders as a group.

Thats really unfortunate. I mean, that they wanted the couple not to go public inorder to shelid other transgenders. Think about all the good that these people can do for couples who the female cannot concieve! I think its a great thing!

 

[Teresa]

The point is, it's not a MAN having a baby...it's a WOMAN who has been living as a man. By keeping her female reproductive organs, she hedged her bets. If she really wanted to be a man, she would have gone ahead with the sex change years ago. That's why transgender groups don't want the publicity...it confuses the issue of transgender people who really DO want to be the other sex.

 

[meow_173]

The point is, it's not a MAN having a baby...it's a WOMAN who has been living as a man. By keeping her female reproductive organs, she hedged her bets. If she really wanted to be a man, she would have gone ahead with the sex change years ago. That's why transgender groups don't want the publicity...it confuses the issue of transgender people who really DO want to be the other sex.

Oh i understand. You you're right. Unless it was a money issue, but she already had the breast reduction, why not go all the way?

 

[Kaytee]

I have to say its interesting, but I agree with Teresa, its just a woman having a baby.

 

[Mindy]

I agree with Teresa too

Thats really unfortunate. I mean, that they wanted the couple not to go public inorder to shelid other transgenders. Think about all the good that these people can do for couples who the female cannot concieve! I think its a great thing!

Can you clarify meow? Do you mean think of the good for the couples <I>themselves</I>, or do you mean conceive for people other than the individual couples?

 

[FooserX]

When I first heard the story, I was pretty intrigued...but then it's like...pregnant girl with boy haircut...what's the big deal?

What's the difference between a lesbian and a transgendered?

And why can they show topless photos of a transgendered woman? Is nudity okay based on bra size?

Is the wife lesbian in this story?

 

[musicmom]

I think it's normal. Like Teresa said just a woman having a baby. I think the child might eventually get confused.

 

[meow_173]

I agree with Teresa too




Can you clarify meow? Do you mean think of the good for the couples <I>themselves</I>, or do you mean conceive for people other than the individual couples?

Well basically for couples who cannot conceive. Like a suragate.

 

[Lissa]

I think it's normal. Like Teresa said just a woman having a baby. I think the child might eventually get confused.

Why would the child get confused?

 

[meow_173]

I don't think the child would get confused, but if he/she were to tell people that she/he came out of their daddy, that might be akward.

 

[fallon]

I agree with the others, without the surgery she's a women still so it's really not very strange. I have to wonder what they will tell their child though, because like Meow said, it would be pretty akward for her to tell people she came out of her daddy

 

[Lissa]

I just don't get how this is any different that two men having a surrogate or two lesbians having a child.

 

[FooserX]

I just don't get how this is any different that two men having a surrogate or two lesbians having a child.

It's not....it's just that this transo looks like a guy...so it really does look like a guy having a baby.

 

[Teresa]

Fooser...a lesbian is a woman who is attracted to other women. A transgended female usually feels like "a man in a woman's body" and is attempting to change to the male gender. This particular woman has had her breasts removed and the nipples "remodeled" and replaced (hence the topless pic allowed...it's a MALE chest). She was taking testosterone before she decided she wanted to get pregnant, and has stopped taking it until after the baby is born. There have been other physical changes to her female anatomy, but she didn't have her reproductive organs removed because she thought she "might want to have a child someday."