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07/05/08-07/07/08

Trans Man Gives Birth to Girl

Thomas Beatie, the 34-year-old transgender man who made international headlines when he came out as pregnant in The Advocate, gave birth on Thursday to a healthy girl, reports ABC News.

The birth of Beatie's daughter caps a pregnancy that shocked the globe. The image in The Advocate of Beatie fully pregnant, but sporting facial hair and a flat chest, confused those not familiar with transgender men and women. The photo accompanied a column in which Beatie described his experiences as a pregnant man. His reflections drew both praise and condemnation. Beatie was born female but transitioned to male with hormones, though his female genitalia remain intact. Beatie told Oprah Winfrey on her show that he always wanted children but his wife, Nancy, was unable to conceive, prompting his decision to try to conceive himself.

"I feel it's not a male or female desire to have a child," Beatie told Winfrey. "It's a human need. I'm a person and I have the right to have a biological child." (The Advocate)

Related stories from Advocate.com

2008-07-12: Thomas Beatie Documentary in the Works
2008-05-03: Trans Positions
2008-04-01: In Response to "Labor of Love"
2008-03-26: Labor of Love

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: Amanda StCloud
Date posted: 2008-08-19 4:57 PM
Hometown: Boise, Idaho

Comment:

Personally my thoughts on the whole ordeal. I hope that this couple are getting lots of media coverage. I didn't see Oprah episode with them features so not sure what they scammed from her. For that fact anyone that brings them on any show. They did it for the media spotlight. Good job. I bet they love the fact it is a Major slap in the face of hundreds of transwomen who would love to carry a child but with current medical technology can not. I am a pre-op male to female transgender and it has been my lifelong dream to carry a child and I will never get to do this. Would I want press and media. No. This couple doesn't care how many transgender women they slapped in the face.

Name: Dee
Date posted: 2008-07-07 9:03 PM
Hometown: orlando

Comment:

ok. i do apologize for anyone who i offend because of what i have to say. i am really confused by everyone's shock and amazement of this entire issue of a transgendered person having a baby. HE STILL HAS A UTERUS. can someone please explain why this is such an huge issue? i applaud the fact that they came in front of the nation and announced this, i am a very proud lesbian and completely support the GLBT community but as far as the public's reception of this whole situation, i just don't understand. i'm thinking maybe it's just a frightened straight person thing. i dont know. feel free to email me with any comments, my email address is juicynydiva@yahoo.com i probably will not remember that i left this comment so i will not come back to see any of the responses. thank you.

Name: Michelle
Date posted: 2008-07-07 8:29 PM
Hometown: Saint Louis

Comment:

I was on ABCNEWS.COM when I first found this websit. I found this subject pretty intresting. My co-worker and I have been discussing this subject since I first came across the McDonalds issue... the issue about McDonalds now giving 20,000 toward some "homosexual" movement. What about donating money toward people who are straight, drug dealers, prostitutes, or anyone else who wants money for there "group". Congrats on the baby. I am all for the baby making, but, don't call yourself a man. You are not a man and never will be due to your chromosomes. I don't understand why the media is making such a big deal out of this... we are women and make babies... wow.. we have been doing this since man was made...

Name: Michelle
Date posted: 2008-07-07 8:27 PM
Hometown: Saint Louis

Comment:

Name: Tynkyr Belle
Date posted: 2008-07-07 4:12 PM
Hometown: San Francisco, CA

Comment:

SHE had a baby. I know it's not politically correct to say that, but it's truth and reality, and while it'd be nice to wave a magic wand and be whatever you dream you are - that's not the way the world works. If you have double X chromosomes, a vagina, ovaries, and a uterus in which a baby grows to full term and then gets delivered, flat chest or not- you're a woman. Calling yourself a man doesn't change any of those facts, no more than calling Bush smart makes him smart. Did (s)he have the right to have a child? Unfortunately, any idiot has the right to pop out a child, whether we actually need another pooping, carbon-dioxide producing, natural-resource-wasting, landfill-creating little brat or not. That's not for anyone to say except her.

Name: Kim
Date posted: 2008-07-07 2:54 PM
Hometown: Springfield

Comment:

I don't understand why there is all this media hype about a female giving birth to a child..... It happens every day.... clearly this was a female giving birth.... "he" (as she calls herself) never had gender reassignment surgery... therefore.... FEMALE!!! I coudn't care less if they decided to have a child and I don't think the child will be treated any differently than a child with two daddies, two mommies, one daddy, one mommy, a grandma, an aunt or any other "family" you can think of.... What does upset me more than you can possibly understand is that this FEMALE was able to legally marry another FEMALE.... just by saying she was a MALE. Where as my partner and I... unwilling to hide what we are under our cloths still have to fight for that!

Name: Elisha
Date posted: 2008-07-07 5:33 AM
Hometown: San Jose, CA

Comment:

I first want to say congratulations on the baby! Now, I want to talk to all the close minded Americans. You absolutely disgust me! Let people choose how to live their own lives! People came to America to escape religious persecution; but what is it you see everywhere now? "It’s against the bible!” While I don't quite understand why this family decided to go to Oprah and start such an uproar, I can't help but question the people who take such acts as "personal offenses." And while you go on about how "it’s against the bible," think about this: Child labor, indentured servitude, slaves, selling your children into marriage, animal sacrifice. Those are ALL in the bible. So if you want to "do it by the bible," you better do it all the way. If you're not willing to take away the rights of a childhood, to freedom, to choose who to marry, and of animals; then don't condemn others because they chose to reject the part of the bible that says that "homosexual acts are forbidden."

Name: John W Beck
Date posted: 2008-07-06 11:45 PM
Hometown: Cambridge, MA

Comment:

Robin Custer - your words betray you. No-one has any 'rights' at all. "Rights" are a mental construction, and they do not exist in the real world. It's lucky for Thomas Beatie that YOU do not pass out the 'rights', as your intolerance would have prevented him from having a child. As it is, he is a transgender man who retained his female sexual organs - he has as much "right" as you to have a child. That's how his body still works. Try to move past your cemented social constructs of woman/man/etc. and be glad for his new daughter. Has his birth prevented YOU from having a child or even caused any car accidents, started any house fires, killed any baby seals or anything? No. It hasn't. Get over it. You cause your own grief. Not Thomas Beatie.

Name: John W Beck
Date posted: 2008-07-06 11:30 PM
Hometown: Cambridge, MA

Comment:

To the folk who condemn Thomas Beatie and his wife, who are YOU to sit in judgment? I understand that is someone else's job, not yours. Someone who is far wiser than you can ever hope to be. Try not to elevate yourself too much. You do yourself and whatever God it is you presume to honor a grave disservice, and you sound very foolish too. I offer my sincere congratulations, and hope Thomas Beatie and his family know every joy. As for their daughter having a 'hard time' with her father having born her, that's how it is. That child will find nothing weird or odd about it. Kids are amazingly strong, and I am sure her life will be just fine. She has 2 parents who love her very much, and she'll probably be a good deal more well adjusted than most of the people in this world, having had to deal with issues many people avoid from a very early age. It's people, like the intolerant and hateful who post here, and their children, who will cause her trouble. Her own family is beautiful.

Name: Deanna
Date posted: 2008-07-06 6:25 AM
Hometown: Vienna

Comment:

Yes we dont know much about transgenders, but its nature, why condemn it? I have been wondering technically whether or not Mr. Beatie has male organs too and whether or not they could reproduce, too. I understand that since he might have 2 functioning organs, but insemination with the own DNA to the same DNA-ovaries might biologically not possible. So, if his loving wive cannot conceive and his own organs cant do it alone (which some animals are capable of, just another evolutionary outcome) I just wonder what DNA they took. If the possibility is there, why the heck not? It s interesting from a biological view, but why condemn humans that love? Just look at hetero and gay couples that cant conceive, all impossible and possible moral, medical, technicals considerations are made.

Name: Tom
Date posted: 2008-07-05 11:20 PM
Hometown: Seattle

Comment:

Mazel tov! And for those who are screaming "Why?!", I say, "Why not?" and "Back off" and "Mind your own business." Your handwringing and slurs are *precisely* the problem. It creates an atmosphere of intolerance, and will make it that much harder for this child to grow up feeling safe. Isn't it strange how almost all of the objections center on two points: how *others* will treat the child (and look, it's starting already, right here); and that Thomas Beatie is not a man, and that when he calls himself one, he's insulting all women, or is somehow unbalanced. Both of these are problems with people too focused on others, and show a real lack of self-assurance. Why should this man's choices make *you* so angry? It's like someone saying that gay marriage threatens the institution of marriage. How's that work?

Name: Sarah
Date posted: 2008-07-05 2:38 AM
Hometown: Onoway

Comment:

Bottom line, this was a woman who gave birth to this child. Men can not give birth. Think about this child. How is she going to feel when she's old enough to realize that her he/she mom(?) was considered a freak of nature by mainstream culture. I'm not condemning what was done here, only trying to see what fire power the school yard bullies will be yielding in five years. I understand that these "women" have the right to have a child but why not adopt like other same sex couples. Why put this innocent little person in the spot light like this. This is unadulterated selfishness and a desire for the spotlight if you ask me. Has anyone asked how much these people stand to make from their story.

Name: Robert
Date posted: 2008-07-04 3:03 PM
Hometown: tampa

Comment:

I just wonder what are the repructions of this event? How would the impair the LGBT movement? How would this effect the credibility of transgenders as a whole? Would this further strain the ties that connect LGB with T? Sexuality just happeneds, its natural. The only choice in it is if we are willing to express it or not. When we come out, we only have less secrets. Transgender however is more about identity rather then sexuality. I am the same Robert i was before and after i came out of the closest. But If i was transgender I am not the same person i was before i came out. I would be Roberta rather then Robert....(to be continued)

Name: Gina Branà
Date posted: 2008-07-04 6:46 AM
Hometown: Milan, Italy

Comment:

I'm happy that people can be free to be and do what they want: become a man even if born woman, to become parents, together with the person they love, as it is natural in life, even when it seems impossible... I admire your courage and I presume you wanted to tell the world just to witness to people that love, courage and determination can make your dreams come true. I hope for the serenity of your family that you'll decide in the future to stay out from headlines and TV programs: you don't need the approval of the world, defend your love and keep it safe from judgment and media or political exploitation. I want to add that we should in the future think of a regulation of this phenomena to avoid doctors without conscientiousness to exploit the desires of people like Beatie to earn money without telling people of all the risks and the real percentage of success in such a particular case of pregnancy. Best wishes to the new family. Gina Branà from Italy

Name: AC
Date posted: 2008-07-04 5:38 AM
Hometown: Florence, Italy

Comment:

If on one side we all agree giving birth to a baby is the most amazing experience and most precious symbol of love, on the other (and just in my opinion) real love needs no shows on tv. Once again in my personal opinion (I insist, just personal) this case is borderline between "labor for love" and "labor for fame". Let's think about the future of this newly born child...the World we live in is unfortunately not made of just open minded, progressive people. I would leave cameras and stages to those who choose to be under the spot light. Maybe my concept of LOVE is a bit different from sharing happiness from a pregnancy and sharing pictures of a mum with a beard

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