The Pregnant Man

[Jessica at Parenting.com]

I'm sure you've all heard of Thomas Beatie -- the transgender, pregnant man who came to the nation's attention during his interview with Oprah.

The NY Times has an article about him (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/22/fashion/22pregnant.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=he%27s+pregnant&st=nyt&oref=slogin) saying, "his image and story powered past traditional definitions of gender and exposed a realm that seemed more than passing strange to some observers — and altogether natural to those who inhabit it."

With his baby due in a couple of weeks, his story is just beginning and the conversation about gender roles and sexual orientation continues.

What are your thoughts about Thomas Beatie's pregnancy and parenthood?

[TrubearJ]

Transgender- meaning he was once a woman and now is a man. I will not begin how wrong that is, but I will say this. If a woman feels she was born as the wrong gender and becomes a man, shouldn't she also be giving up what makes her a woman? If she wanted to really be a man, than why does she embrace pregnancy which is what a woman does? I think she's confused. She needed more than becoming a "man" to figure out what is going on with her. This is sickening. I will teach my kids the same.

And yes, I am extremely conservative.

Oh, if this was a real man having a healthy pregnancy, I might have something else to write.

[Sept29th]

i think that will mess there child up so bad, so does that make the mom a lesbian? i'm not understanding it very much!!

[autymsmommy]

It sounds very confusing but I've got to agree with Trubear here!

[Sept29th]

i totally agree with trubear!! yuck!! my kids will know that it's wrong and exactly why!!

[fuzzy]

Maybe if it really was a man it would be something to talk about or even interesting...but it's Not a man it's a woman living as a man!I could dress up as a man take horomones and say i'm the next preggers man!I wonder how much Oprah pays???seriously,I think it's kinda weird especially the amount of publicity this has actually gotten!As far as I understood from Oprah,thomas has all the woman parts excluding breast.

[myboysmom]

LOL Tanker. :) I have to agree with most replies -- if it were an honest-to-God man, then that would be so liberating to women, huh? ;) But I agree with Trubear; if you are choosing to be a man over a woman, then it should be all or nothing, and vice versa. There are some people out there who are truly the wrong sex, and if they can fix that to be happy, more power to them. But what cracks me up are the men who become women who still are attracted to women. WTF, as my dh would say?

[Jessica at Parenting.com]

Thanks for the laugh, Tanker!

It certainly is a confusing issue, isn't it?

On one hand, I think Womb = Woman. On the other hand, that "biology = destiny" theory has historically led to a lot of unfairness toward women (ex: the old idea that women, with their hormonal cycles, are hysterical and therefore unfit for leadership roles in public life).

On yet another hand, we tend to think of a person's sex as "either/or." You're either a man or a woman, and nothing exists in between.

Is this why we can't truly understand how Thomas can simultaneously – and happily – embody two realities (being a woman and acting like a man)? Is it because Thomas doesn't require that his sex (female) match his gender (male)?

I'm not making any judgments on all of this, by the way. Just trying to think it through.

Any thoughts?

(PS - I'm still holding out hope that they'll find a way for males to be pregnant, much to my husband's chagrin!)

[TrubearJ]

Jessica-
I don't think men could handle being pregnant. Lol. They act like babies when they get sick; imagine if they had to endure two months of morning sickness.:)

[Sept29th]

HA HA TRUBEAR YOUR MY FAVORITE, i totally agree i didn't have morning sickness but the other stuff i've had my husband couldn't deal with without complaining about it!!!! i heard that he was born with both parts and he picked the womans parts, is that correct?

[Jessica at Parenting.com]

Jessica-
I don't think men could handle being pregnant. Lol. They act like babies when they get sick; imagine if they had to endure two months of morning sickness.:)

My husband said the same exact thing! Too funny...

[kaiya23]

You should see my husband with the issue of a poopy diaper...

[haleymom07]

the pregnant "man" actually gave birth to a baby girl just thought i would let everyone know.

[War_Eagle]

I'm sure you've all heard of Thomas Beatie -- the transgender, pregnant man who came to the nation's attention during his interview with Oprah.

The NY Times has an article about him (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/22/fashion/22pregnant.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=he%27s+pregnant&st=nyt&oref=slogin) saying, "his image and story powered past traditional definitions of gender and exposed a realm that seemed more than passing strange to some observers — and altogether natural to those who inhabit it."

With his baby due in a couple of weeks, his story is just beginning and the conversation about gender roles and sexual orientation continues.

What are your thoughts about Thomas Beatie's pregnancy and parenthood?

The whole thing is about as dumb as can be. She isn't a man. She's a woman pretending to be a man.

[africansista6975]

I honestly don't see what all the hype is about. A man did not give birth. A woman gave birth, just as the story goes everyday. It just happens the she had surgical enhancements to resemble the male body. That does not make her a man. I'm not knocking her personal decision. I am just making the point that to say a man gave birth is an oxymoron as men are incapable of giving birth. Now if you say a woman who resembles a man gave birth, then that would be true.

[lou]

Jessica-
I don't think men could handle being pregnant. Lol. They act like babies when they get sick; imagine if they had to endure two months of morning sickness.:)

LOL!!! That is so true. Though I don't think my fiance would make it through even one month let alone two as I think at that point I'd have to put him out of his misery!!! My god when he's sick it's like the end of the world and on top of feeling sick he'd have to change his entire lifestyle, what he eats, drinks, his activities, etc... I don't think I could handle him being pregnant.

[lena241]

No matter how she looks, she is a woman. I hate that they made a big deal about this. I dont think that he/she should have gotten any publicity about this. Its wrong, and thats that.

[craftyashley]

Yes, obviously this person is still a woman if they are carrying a child. Dressing like a man doesn't exactly make you one! If this person felt as though they should be male, then why get pregnant?

[ktejmommy]

I actually got all the info I know of this story from this thread right now lol. I agree.. point blank it's a woman having a baby... under the cercumstances... any "man" could get pregnant. It's not news by my book.

[APEMBERTON]

I Agree!! If It Were Actually A "man" Than It Might Be A Good Story, But He/she Is A Woman. Like Someone Else Said I Could Dress Like A Man & Get My Boobs Removed & Get Preggo , But Hello I Am Still A Woman. Also If She Wanted To Be A "he" So Bad Why Would "he" Want To Be Pregnant. That's Part Of Being A Woman!!! I Do Not Have Kids But Imagine How Fun That Must Be To Explain That To Your Child!!

[ProudParent940]

I think you are all on track. The chromosomes never lie. I don't care what kind of clothes a person is wearing or what's been glued on or removed, you are the sex you are born with.

Did you know that a man can have a sex change and after two years, he is eligible to perform in the olympics? How unfair is that?

Imagine a female working hard and training for years to be defeated by some guy who legally changed his sex?

For those in disbelief, here is one source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/10809648/

"The International Olympics Committee officially changed its rules for transsexual people in 2004. To compete, an athlete must wait for two years after sex-reassignment surgery."

[jenn_0629]

I have seem THS's about transgendered male and females and I don't know if you guys watch VH1, but they had a season of the Surreal Life with Alexis Arquette. It actually kind of opens up your eyes, and I feel really sorry for these people. Some men are naturally more girly and some women are naturally more manly, but to actually feel as though you are the wrong gender, that would tough. I am assuming there is some sort of sexual orientation issues. I guess if a he still wanted children, but was attracted to females...he couldn't have children..you know what I mean? There is always artificial insimination, but if he honestly wanted his own children, he'd have to go back to go ahead and go through the pregnancy. But, my question is..that if he is indeed attracted to women, how did he get pregnant in the first place?

Also, I think that his child will get made fun of, more so than other kids, but this is a lot like gays having children, there is a big controversy over that, but..if you are a good parent, you love and care for your kids. Some people may say that he shouldn't bring a child into this world because he is a transgendered male and it will be hard on the child, but honestly, kids will get made fun of if their mother is fat or their dad is a different race, basically for anything.

[tierrajo1]

Every child is a blessing. This one is being born under unusual circumstances but that may just make he/she just that more open minded and non-judgemental. As long as they raise this child in a loving, accepting, and nurturing environment no one has any right to pass judgement on these people. I think the worst problem this child will have and will have to learn quickly to deal with will be the narrow mindedness and criticism of strangers, and shame on them. Are we not supposed to "love thy neighbor", not love thy neighbor as long as they are just like us and make only the decisions we approve of?

[cxania]

http://www.momlogic.com/2008/11/narcissus_doesnt_hold_a_candle.php

[mammawazz]

In my eyes he/she is still a woman ifyou still have the reproductive make up of a female than you are a female. I am not judging it he/she wants to be a man than he/she needs to find a way to remove ALL female reproductive organs and then can be called a man. If I have a tail and big floppy ears attached to me can I then be called a dog????

[aglionz]

FYI...they just announced on Larry King that they're pregnant again.

[myboysmom]

I can't believe that Larry King/CNN would sink to tabloid level

[jenn_0629]

I know! That is pretty sad.

[**MICHAEL'S MOM**]

I am completely disgusted by the whole thing..i feel so bad about thier child, they are going to get picked on.. And totally screwed up and confused. I mean he/she was born a woman..men don't have ovaries!! Hello..im just sickened by the fact that they are media whores!! An then go and get pregnant again!! What the heck! Its rediculious.. I really feel bad for the kids!!

[dulcet_tones]

I can definitely agree with most of you that this is the case of a woman having a child. Yes the woman looks like a man but I think you've gotta go with the plumbing that's currently in use and say that she's still a woman.

That being said, I can also see some reasons why she may have kept her female reproductive parts intact, even though she feels like she is actually a man. It could be a simple matter of her partner/wife not having the ability to carry a child. I have a co-worker that is one half of a lesbian couple and that's their situation. My co-worker's partner has sickle cell anemia and they're afraid that she would pass that condition on to any child she would carry. So when they are ready to do the artificial insemination(sp?) my co-worker will be the one that will carry the child.

But I do agree with the unnecessary hype this has received. All this is, is a Lesbian couple that has undergone artificial insemination (I assume) and are expecting a child.

[H.Starr]

Yeah, I remember hearing about this and seeing pictures and whatnot.

What I want to know is, If I shave my head, get my breasts removed, and wear my husband's clothes....can I be famous when we get pregnant again?

Transgender means cross dresser.
Transsexual means you had a sex change.

Therefore this woman is just a cross dresser. Why do I care about that? People do it every day. Wearing the clothes doesn't make you a man.

The media is so stupid anymore these days. Its pathetic.

[tortdog]

>If I shave my head, get my breasts removed, and wear my husband's clothes....can I be famous when we get pregnant again?

Yes. Then write a book about it to cash in.

[coma1105]

I think that some of you guys are just awful!!!

He is legally a man now, but was born a woman. He left his uterus intact because his wife can't have children. They now have three of the most loved children in the world.

Get a clue people...

And he's transsexual. Has no breasts and is legally a man. When they finish having children he is getting everything removed. He's not just a crossdresser.

[ABoysMommy]

If he still has the internal organs, and he still has a vagina, in order to have children, then I believe that would make him still a woman, wouldn't it? If he is having children, he must have the parts to do it. Men can't have children, so his sex organs would have to be female. So no matter how badly he wants to be a man, he isn't yet. There is not anything shocking or scientific or groundbreaking or whatever about this man's story, because he's not a pregnant man. He is a woman, with woman parts. He just wants to be a man and will be later. And also I feel bad for those kids because they will undoubtedly find out about this messy story later in life and if it was me I really don't know how I'd handle knowing that my dad is really my mom. Odd.

[ABird]

I still can't believe that this is my classmate. She was so pretty in HS. Quiet. Pretty. Walked liked a guy but always looked and dressed feminine. First time I saw him after HS I was shocked!

Amazing. His kids are cute though. Can see the Asian in the shape of their eyes.