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 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?