Pregnant Man Thomas Beatie To Give Press Conference On April Fool’s Day, Fools
31 March 2008, 9:00 AM. By Daniel Mauser
Thomas Beatie, the pregnant transman who has inspired commenters to alternately cry, rejoice and weave error-riddled rants to demonstrate their superior knowledge of gender and identity, will be holding a press conference tomorrow - which just happens to be April Fool’s Day:
Gender reassignment surgery has been around for decades, but what’s drawn international interest (and headlines like “He’s Having Their Baby”) is his claim, published in the gay rights magazine The Advocate, that he is five months pregnant. Beatie and his wife Nancy are expecting their first child on July 3, though they have given few other details.
The inescapable biological fact is that men cannot become pregnant. A few males in the animal kingdom do in a sense become pregnant (such as seahorses, which carry eggs in their pouch once they are deposited there by a female, then fertilize them and carry them to term).
Humans are another matter entirely; if Beatie has retained his babymaking equipment, then he is in fact still biologically a woman, not a man.
Now, we find this particular article infuriating for the following reasons:
1) Although The Advocate does deal with gay issues and while Thomas Beatie can, technically, fall under the umbrella of belonging to a comparatively marginalized spectrum of the gender range, the fact remains that, as a female-to-male transsexual who is in love with and married to a woman, Thomas Beatie is not a gay man. This doesn’t add or take away from his situation and, true, sexual orientation is very rarely as simple as “gay” and “straight,” but it’s misleading to categorize him as such.
2) Thomas Beatie, while not biologically male, is legally male and, furthermore, identifies as male. And while many commenters have offered their two cents on valid such claims can be the way we see it is: If he says he’s male, with or without the additional backing of a legal slip of paper also claiming him as such, that’s good enough for us.
If this does turn out to be an elaborate prank, we’d be disappointed - but not devastated. Depending on the ends this means is meant to justify, of course, we have to admit that the dialogue that has come out of these stories on Beatie have been eye-opening, both in their ability to show how supportive and accepting people can be to one another, and how cruel.
If this is some douchebag hipster with an “art project,” well. We’d be disappointed. Anything hipsters do is disappointing, frankly. But this story got people to evaluate their feelings and, if not to reflect on their prejudices and misgivings, then at least to express them in such a way as to hopefully highlight the fact that, where gender and sexuality are concerned, there’s still so much work to be done.
Pregnant man to tell all on April Fool’s Day [China View]
Earlier: Thomas Beatie’s Neighbors Say “Pregnant Man” Is Totally Punking Us
(13) 
Post Your Comment
Did you know you can now share a link, image or video?
Click to submit your own notas.
Since you talk about “supporting and caring people” in your comments (and I assume you consider yourself among that group, on this issue), I have to take exception with your point #1, particularly how it “infuriates” you. Why should this story running in The Advocate upset you, particularly if Beatie is not a “gay man”? The Advocate is not just for gay men, but also for lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues. For better or worse, LGBT all comes in one package in everything except porn. So I don’t give a flying frijol whether you’re proving or disproving Beatie’s gayness or gay-maleness…he sure is transgender, no? (And if he’s not even that, then I’m as annoyed with his pseudo-hipsterness as you are. But I ain’t “infuriated” with The Advocate. Get a grip, chica.)
My grip is firm, thanks. Chortle.
Anyway, my issue wasn’t with The Advocate itself but with the article I was citing in this post, which insinuated that by appearing in “gay rights magazine, The Advocate” that Thomas Beatie is gay. Which is incorrect. Like I said, it doesn’t add or take away from Mr. Beatie’s situation, but it’s misleading and assumes that all people who identify as queer are simply “gay.”
I just think it is funny how folks are so confused by this guy…
that picture kinda creeps me out!
Hey, Alex, it’s your blog (which I LOVE, btw). And I don’t wanna belabor this, but I read that article and didn’t get any insinuation. I must be way gay. Woo hoo!
Now you’ve gone and made me blush!
My opinion is that if this person was a woman and still has their woman parts…. Then this person is NOT a pregnant man. They’d be a pregnant woman dressed as a man…
I can do that with my belly (stick it out) - it’s great - people freak. I can also roll it.
wtf are he and his wife going to tell the kid?? The kid is going to be effed up for life!!
I think that they have the right to celibrate like any other typical AMERCIANS.It just amaze me, how can a man have a child?I respect his decisions,not feeling comfortable in your own skin that doesnt mean that you cant get a new one:it simple means:are you going to be HAPPY in the NEW one?
i respect you and i wish you and your familiy BEST of luck………..
your NEW baby is going to be a LIGHT to the WORLD AND TO YOU
I’m so glad for you and your wife. I’m pregnant as well, due July 1st, so we’re right along the same path…best of luck to you.
I do not believe this
Actually an infant can implant outside the uterus in either a male or female body, because the placenta, which is part of the fetal package, doesn’t give a damn where it implants. It’ll implant on something, never mind what. So yes, a man can gestate a child, but only at great risk to his own health. Sure hope he doesn’t expect Medicaid to pay f or this. I object to this kind of nonsense for the sake of getting media attention, and fulfilling some sick fantasy of being like a woman. Forget it, guy. You’re not a woman even if you produce a full term baby and live through the experience. You missed all the really fun parts, like cramps and always worrying about being raped and possibly even morning sickness. To say nothing of menopause. You’re just a sick wacko with way to much disposable time on your hands. Get a job already.