Continental promo
< Back Comments (1)Post a Comment Bookmark and Share   Page: 1 | 2
 

In Response to "Labor of Love"

An FTM activist responds to the media coverage of Thomas Beatie after his article appeared in The Advocate.
An Advocate.com exclusive posted April 1, 2008
In Response to

Transgender man Thomas Beatie set off a firestorm in the LGBT population and the world when he announced that he is having a baby and continues to identify as a man. His article in The Advocate, “Labor of Love,” left many, even some transgender people, wondering how someone can identify as male and yet be pregnant. Some have even gone so far to suggest that by bearing the child he is less, or even not, male, despite Beatie’s declaration that he continues to identify as male.

But nature is full of pregnant males. Male sea horses, pipefish, and weedy and leafy sea dragons are examples of males that can get pregnant. Some intersex people with XY chromosomes develop female bodies and the pregnant person has a Y chromosome, which is usually associated with males. The argument that it is unnatural for him to have a baby flies in the face of real, live examples from nature where males get pregnant. Beatie, who has had various surgeries and hormone therapies over the years but did not have his ovaries and uterus removed, has chosen to carry a child because his wife could not conceive. The baby is due in July. This is about the birth of a child, and this birth is no more or less miraculous than the birth of any child.

Some suggest that by not fitting in as an everyday man, Beatie makes it harder for the rest of the FTM population. Being “out” is a complicated question for transgender people. Many feel there is nothing to be out about. They don’t see themselves as transgender per se, but rather transitioned, as they are finally able to be the man or woman that they felt they were. That said, we, the transgender community, should never discourage people from being out, nor should we dictate what they should do or say once they are out. I remember that in the early '90s many would say we should prohibit outrageously dressed people from marching in pride parades because hate groups would tape them and then use the footage to raise funds to be used against us. The Beatie story has limited relevance to the larger transgender experience, but I am happy for the Beaties, and it is my hope that we will embrace all of our diversity, proud of all our differences because it strengthens us more than we will ever know.

Page: 1 | 2
Transgender male leader Robert Haaland is an FTM advocate for LGBT rights who serves on the national board of Pride at Work and is a union organizer.
Keywords:  Thomas Beatie 
Related stories from Advocate.com

Reader Comments

These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.

  • Name: Natasha Pham
    Date posted: 2009-01-31 5:22 PM
    Hometown: Philadelphia

    Comment:

    I've heard about this last year, but dismissed it as silly rumors. I didn't make anything of it. I immediately bought the book. I just finish it 10 minutes ago, and am now online researching Mr. Beatie. The book is extraordinary, sad, and compassionate, inspirational... His childhood reminds me of my childhood, my relation with my father and mother. I cried went I found out his mother die.I understand his fear and admiration for his father. Thomas went through so much prejudice and he made it. His family gave me more hope than just same-sex marriages; that a legal man can be pregnant and still be a father. A whole other level of equality and human rights. A course that I never imagined would be brought up, or that someone will be able to do it. He gives me hope. I would like to meet them and be a part of their life, be friends. I hope them the best of luck and more beautiful babies.


Back to top

Submit a comment for this story:

*Type your comment here (Required, 1000 characters max. HTML formatting and hyperlinks are NOT permitted.):

*Name (Required): 

*Hometown (Required): 

*E-mail address: (Required, but will not be displayed)

Is this comment for publication? 
Yes   No

Daytime phone number: (Required for print publication only and will not be displayed)

Please enter the words you see in the box, in order and separated by a space. Doing so helps prevent automated programs from abusing this service.

  

If you would like to submit a comment for posting, please fill out the form above. 

All comments submitted via this form are subject to posting or publication. (To send a private letter to an Advocate editor or writer, please use the e-mail button at the top of the page, or use snail mail.) If you would like your comment considered for publication in The Advocate magazine, please include your full name, your city of residence, and a phone number where you can be reached during business hours so that we can confirm your identity. Your e-mail address and telephone number are strictly confidential and will not be shared or used for any purpose other than to contact you about your comment.

See the Contact page for sending comments for reasons other than responding to Advocate editorial and news stories.

Please note that comments sent by fax or snail mail are unlikely to be posted, although they will be considered for publication along with all letters received via e-mail or via this Web page. Comments that chiefly concern Advocate.com content will be considered for posting only on the Web site. The Advocate reserves the right to edit submitted comments for grammar, spelling, obscenities, or libel; we will, however, do our best to preserve the original comment's style and intent. Comments considered for publication in The Advocate magazine may also be edited for length.

More Exclusives
  • View From the Hill: The End of DADT?
    Defense Secretary Robert Gates revealed that lawyers are exploring ways to ease enforcement of the military's gay ban, but cautioned that the law doesn't leave much wiggle room. He need look no further than DOD history for a lesson in altering the policy.
  • Hot Sheet: Week of July 5
    When you get back from that big 4th of July barbecue, unwind with Sacha Baron Cohen's Bruno and your favorite B-movie-mocking, basic cable robots.
  • Hungry Like the Wolf
    A master of viola, ukulele, piano, and harp, Patrick Wolf is a music prodigy -- one who, the night before this interview, spit on a cop and got himself arrested.
  • Soapside: Advocate's Guide to Daytime
    Forbes March talks about playing gay, Otalia fans outraged, update on One Life to Live’s Patricia Maurceri’s firing over gay plot point, Phillip Chancellor III big reveal, and Erica Kane goes to Africa.
  • The Faces of Federal Prop. 8
    With the federal challenge to Prop. 8 moving full speed ahead, Advocate.com sits down with the two couples named as plaintiffs in the suit.
  • Mommy, the Gays Are Coming
    After a year of advancements and celebration for gay and lesbian Colombians, the community takes to the streets of Bogota for the country's biggest pride ever.
  • The Pride of Antwerp
    Advocate.com hits the gay-friendly streets of Antwerp with openly gay police commissioner Serge Muyters.
  • Excerpt: Mean Little Deaf Queer
    In an excerpt from her humorous and harrowing new memoir, Mean Little Deaf Queer, Terry Galloway recalls her early childhood, describing feelings of ugliness, confusion about gender, and being one of the boys.
  • Top Political Blogs
    From Joe.My.God to The Daily Beast, Advocate.com spotlights a few of the best blogs that cover politics, inside and way outside the Beltway.
  • The Diva of French Television
    A hot young screenwriter who has made gay OK for millions of French viewers, Nicolas Mercier sips champagne, dons a feathered hat, and says he wants to see Colin Farrell and Jude Law go at it.