Nov 16 2008
Is He Really a Pregnant Man?
The Beatie family, Nancy and Thomas, are pregnant again. Thomas, a transgender female to male, is the one carrying their second child. Thomas carried their first child and after her birth, Nancy breastfed their daughter. The couple are raising their daughter with Thomas as the father and Nancy as the mother despite the fact that Thomas is the one who gave birth to her.
Was Thomas legally a pregnant man? Yes. Thomas had already transgendered, took testosterone for eight years and legally changed his gender to male on all legal documents including his birth certificate and social security card. Nancy and Thomas were allowed to get married as a heterosexual couple in the state of Oregon, a state where same sex marriage is not legal. So Thomas Beattie, a legal male gave birth to a healthy baby girl in June of 2008.
So is Thomas a pregnant man once again? Yes, legally, Thomas is again a pregnant man after once again being artificially inseminated by his wife Nancy.
The question (and confusion for many of us, even those that can accept the Beatie family without prejudice) is at what point does Thomas (or any female to male) go from being male to female and back to male again?
It is not physically possible for a biological man to carry a baby to term, a legal man, yes, but a biological man no. A biological man does not have the required reproductive organs in order to carry a baby to term, although a legal man who has transgendered from a female to male may have female reproductive organs and so therefore can give birth to a baby.
Does it really all matter? Aren’t there more important things in the world going on than whether Thomas Beatie is a pregnant man, or if Thomas Beatie is identified as the father on the birth certificate? The Beaties are only trying to have a family and appear ready and able to take care of their children in a home of love, understanding and support. Who gave birth to the child shouldn’t matter, who is called the father, the mother, doesn’t matter either. As Thomas Beatie stated in his interview with Barbara Walters, Mother and Father are social roles and can be redefined if we are willing.
