I'm wearing everything I'm suppose to (we'll leave it at that), plus additional layers for extra protection.  Even so, I still have visible spotting on my pants. 

My first worry wasn't about the pants potentially being ruined by the time I get home to stain treat them (still another three to four hours away), despite being the clotheshorse that I am.  They're light colored linen and I don't want to lose them, but a far greater fear - what still petrifies me enough that I won't get up to grab my lunch - is that someone in the office will see.

I try so hard to maintain a male enough appearance that despite teh typical high turnover at the non-profit I work for, people might get my pronoun preference right without that uncomfortable first correction (and sometimes repeated corrections after that).  Not to say that the LGT advocacy organization that I work for isn't trans-friendly - they're the most trans-friendly place I've worked.  But it's still strangely difficult to convince some people to treat me as though I'm male or recognize that I'm male-identified given my lack of desire to act and dress "butch" enough.  Add in that I haven't started to medically transition (another thing that seems to completely throw people), and all bets seem to be off without a significant amount of effort on my part or semi-obvious confusion on the part of many others. 

Really, if anything in the last few months has had a direct impact on my desire to transition or not transition, today has.  I don't want to worry about stupid things like this anymore.  At least not for such ridiculous reasons.  I'm tired of trying to convince people, and especially of being so incredibly embarassed by natural functions of my body.  Who knew taht something so normal could have such strong implications?  Who knew that it could bring something as personal as my identity under question?  This level of stress, especially since it can be mitigated to some extent, seems foolish.  I feel like I'm cosntantly having to undertake some level of damage control; something always uncovers that I'm really "deceiving" people, and I have to mitigate, answer, defend...

It feels like giving in to the culture's narrow definitions of gender, but I'm tired of fighting it.  If men aren't allowed to menstruate, maybe it's time for me to listen (ah, memories of the media circus around the pregnant transman - but that's a much bigger topic for a different day). 

I think it might be time to see about my options for HRT again.  What remains to be seen is if I actually go through with any of it this time.

-Thomas Beatie tiene la cara como el cemento

Dejo unas fotitos de la difunta Tracy. Qué mona era.

Videos like the one above make me absolutely disgusted with Fox News.  The fact that the station allows this bigotry to infiltrate the airways is horrific. Though, most of what Fox News puts on the air is complete trash to begin with.  But this video highlights the attitudes and bigotry that have come out of the announcement of a transgender man becoming pregnant.

I've watched the story of Thomas Beatie unfold over the last few weeks, and am not at all surprised by a lot of that hateful comments that have been directed at Thomas and his family. For starters, I can completely understand why this story would be a bit confusing for people.  Initially, it confused me a little, and I pride myself on being a bit more open minded than the general public. Ultimately, it wasn't as complicated as I thought. If you get over the initial shock of something like this happening, it isn't that far out. But after listening to a lot of honest comments from people trying to understand, I realized that most of this country (and probably the world) does not understand the transgender community.  There have been moments in my life where I've needed clarification, or had to ask questions to fully understand what a transgender individual might be going through.  Part of the human experience is understanding our differences and attempting to make sense of them. 

The issue is not that complex and I'm beginning to think I should copy and paste this in an email sent to the producers of that show.  Thomas Beatie was born, genetically, a woman.  But in his childhood he felt as though he was born the wrong gender.  He took hormones and altered his physical appearance, so that the outside would match how he felt internally. However, he elected to not have sexual reassignment surgery, which is very common among the transgender community.  The state in which he lives allowed him to legally change his sex to male.  After his wife was unable to have children, it was decided that he would take himself off of his hormones, and attempt to get pregnant.  And he did. The end. 

The only thing that needs to be understood is that the reason Thomas got pregnant, was because he could. He wanted his family to grow, just like you and I would choose to do if we were able.  Perhaps we could stop making judgements and assumptions about people like Thomas, and first ask questions to help us understand. Referring to an unborn baby as "the little Ewok she's going to crap out" is offensive to me, and it should be to you. Allowing David Letterman to refer to Thomas as "an androgynous freak-show" is not acceptable.  The members of the media who have defamed this man and his family, should be held accountable for their words.  

But in America, poking fun of that what we don't understand is our thing.  As a proud gay man, I understand the power of words.  People can pass Letterman's comments off as "comedy," and allow Greg Gutfield and Joe Scarborough to hide behind freedom of speech.  But allowing prominent media figures to defame a person, does not raise the level of understanding. Given the transgender community is relatively small and often voiceless, I'm not surprised that we allow these things to go unchecked. I just hope there are a few more people in this world who feel the same. 

Congratulations to you, Thomas Beatie.  

Cosa dice Dio dell'omosessualità ?

Il report della cnn:

Aldilà di ciò che pensano molti il pensiero di Dio è espresso chiaramente nella sua parola:

Non avrai relazioni carnali con un uomo, come si hanno con una donna: è cosa abominevole. (Levitico 18:22)
Se uno ha relazioni carnali con un uomo come si hanno con una donna, ambedue hanno commesso cosa abominevole; saranno certamente messi a morte; il loro sangue ricadrà su di loro.
(Levitico 20:13)

Dio quindi vieta in maniera assoluta l'omosessualità che è peccato.

Domanda:
Ma cosa devo fare se io sono nato uomo ed oggi sento di essere donna ?
Risposta:
Molti pensano di essere Napoleone ma di fatto non lo sono...

Non è quello che tu pensi di essere che fa di te ciò che sei, non esiste una verità relativa, esiste solo la verità.
Non esiste un peccato più o meno grave, esiste solo "il peccato" da cui tutti possiamo essere liberati per mezzo del sangue di Cristo Gesù.
Gesù non è venuto per giudicarti ma è venuto per salvarti dalla morte eterna.

Giovanni 12:47

E se uno ode le mie parole e non crede, io non lo giudico; perché io non sono venuto a giudicare il mondo, ma a salvare il mondo.

Grazie al suo sacrificio sulla croce è possibile oggi essere salvati, ricevere la vita eterna, nascere di nuovo e vivere una vita ripiena di gioia ed amore.

Really?  That's the problem you have with it?  THAT's what keeps you up at night?   Seriously, you need to not sweat the semantics.  Is that a problem that is going to come into your home at night and steal your wife and kids too?   Maybe that problem will attack America too.

But it gets WORSE,

"He's only six months into it, it's fine and well when you're only six months pregnant.  It's month seven, eight and nine that you want to kill yourself and I hope that's what happens to this guy!" said Tracy Byrnes.  She's a New York Post columnist and a former higher-up at Ernst & Young LLP.

Say what!?  That's not a very Christian thing to say on Fox -- wish death upon someone and maybe their fetus too!

This movie provides, I think, a fine example of how ignorance can fuel hate. Pay especially attention to the woman, to her eyes and her face, when she wishes Thomas Beatie, the first pregnant man, a terribly painful delivery. And look at those other people laughing. It makes my stomach hurt. And this is mainstream American television. Shameful.

For those who don't know about Thomas Beatie: he's a transgender man (he used to be a woman), who did do most of the operations concerning the sex change but kept his female reproductive organs. When his wife turned out not to be able to have a child, they decided to make Thomas the carrier of the child. Personally, I can't see what's weird or objectionable to that.

[Hat tip: Queerty]

parte 1

 parte 2

 parte 3- aqui podem encontrar a ecografia que foi feita

parte 4

parte 5

Thomas currently 6 months pregnant

Thomas as a young woman named Tracy Lagondino

I keep reading about and seeing reports on tv about the world's "first pregnant man". On Oprah, Thomas Beatie formerly Tracy Lagondino, talked about his transition from a woman to a man and what lead to it and how he ended up pregnant.

I am so sick of reading articles and blogs of people talking badly about this man. He has the right to do whatever he wants to his body. If he wants to have a baby, let him do so.

I don't understand the world's need to hate on him. I live in Hawaii not far from where his home was with his then girlfriend. He was still Tracy when he lived here and I remember reading about his fight for equality for gays and their rights to adopt. He was a good woman and I believe, is a good man.

I am not gay and I don't know the couple personally, but I am disgusted when I read the gay hate that is spewed out online and in the media. They love each other. When did it become wrong and evil to love someone and want to spend your life with them and be with them? I think they deserve to have the same rights as EVERYONE else. The right to be married should be because people love each other and should have nothing to do with a person's sexual preference. Gay or straight, love is still love.

What happened to compassion? I know that people are shocked and amazed and even enthralled with this story and I understand their curiosity as to who Thomas and his wife are and why they are doing this but there is no need to hate them.

Everything happens for a reason. Thomas was born a woman therefore he was afforded the right by God to carry and give birth to a child. I know there are religious fanatics who hate homosexuality but who cares? I don't believe God condemns homosexuals, I don't believe God hates gays.

I am a religious person who prays to God every day and I believe in my heart that God is all knowing and loving, that He created all of us to be who we are and loves us for being ourselves and doing good. Bible belt pushers and fanatics misconstrue the meaning of the bible.

Sure the bible is God's word but it's God's word written by and perceived by the men that wrote it so I don't think it should be taken literally.

Thomas wrote an article on the Advocate.com website called Labor of Love, it's so moving, you should read it. It might give you close minded individuals some insight and perspective. My congratulations and love and prayers go out to Thomas Beatie and his wife and family. May they have a safe and happy pregnancy and a healthy happy baby. More babies would be lucky to have such kind, smart, wonderful people as parents.

Stop hating them!! Acceptance is the wave of the future. Loving one another and accepting them for who they are is what we need to do as a race..

I'm sure I'll get some emails condemning me for supporting Thomas Beatie and his family and I don't care if you don't agree with me. This is my blog and hence, my opinion. If you want to get at me feel free to comment or email me, I'll respond.

Now the world seems pretty different from what it used to be. From plastic surgeries to imitate one's idol, to surgical processes that can somehow change ones gender, and now, the improbable possibility of a man getting pregnant.

But wait, this might not be the case that might change the way the males think about sex, considering the fact that now, they too can bear the child. It may seem alarming for a man (not a seahorse) to be pregnant, but as long genetics and science is still around, there won't be a need to fear any of this.

Thomas Beatie, the "pregnant man" that caught a lot of public attention, is actually a transgender. Now this makes sense. Though legally counted in the population as a male, he/she (now i'm confused) still comprises the biological body of a female. Thus, in any way, she can still be pregnant.

Thomas writes, "Ten years ago, when Nancy (wife) and I became a couple, the idea of us having a child was more dream than plan. I always wanted to have children. However, due to severe endometriosis 20 years ago, Nancy had to undergo a hysterectomy and is unable to carry a child.

Thomas knew he had to sacrifice a lot, and be in proper condition to bare a child inside her ( still pregnant capable) body, but as for him, nothing compares to having their own child, whichever parent it may come from.

And by the way, he's due this coming July 2008.

3 Critical:

1. Has Every Right? - with legality as the basis, now we can really say he has every right to the child. Is this gonna be fair? Who knows?
2. Breaking The Boundaries - without a doubt, people now are breaking the boundaries of what used to be. Not that it's a bad thing actually.
3. I See A Movie - now don't be surprised if I tell you someday, someone's gonna make a movie out of this. You've thought of that too right?

Well, another popularity for Filipinos
But i do not know if it is for good or what..
Not like Our very own boxers
last sunday at "Invasion:Philippines VS. World" encounter
at Araneta Coliseum on which all of our Pinoy boxers Won..

Gerry Penalosa (52-6, 35 KO’s) vs Ratanachai Sor Vorapin (71-9, 47 KO’s)
Penalosa Won
Rey 'Boom Boom Bautista (23-1, 17 KO's) vs Genaro Camargo (16-3, 10 KO’s)
Boom boom Won via KO in Round 2.
AJ 'Bazooka' Banal (15-0, 12 KO's) vs Caril Herrera (21-0, 13 KO's)
Bazooka Won at round 4
Ciso 'Kid Terrible' Morales (10-0, 6 KO’s) vs Yoo Shin Kim (6-1, 4 KO’s)
Morales Won at round 5

And for this "invasion:Philippines Vs. World" video, i am still searching at youtube..aehheh

It couldn’t be a more perfect story to poke fun at.  A man, who was once a woman, now carries a baby for himself and his wife.

The jokes practically write themselves.

            Where does he shop?  Casual Male Big and Knocked Up. Where did he buy his monitoring device?  Best Bi.  How was the childbirth?  I felt a little prick. 

            The jokes are endless about the pregnant “man.”

            I’m prepared to sit down, pull out my keyboard and type away.  First, I need to do research.   What do I do?  Watch Oprah of course.

            Thomas Beatie and his wife appeared on Thursday’s Oprah.  And you know what?  They’re actually likable.

            Damn you Oprah!

            I’ve heard the comments,  “that kid is going to have some genetic problems,” and “that’s going to be one screwed up child.”

            As I watched Oprah, a thought occurred to me.  This child is wanted.           

            What is so bad about giving a child a loving home?

            Last year, police in Galveston, Texas, arrested a man for microwaving his baby. That child didn’t have an advantage because he was born to a traditional couple

            The Beatie’s child already has an advantage.  She is wanted and loved.  An un-loved child is more damaged than a child whose father gave birth to her. I’m a former foster-parent.  I’ve seen the damage first-hand.

            So this child’s father was once who woman.  Who cares if both your parents have vaginas?  What’s wrong with a clitoris that is now a small pe…

            Ok, I’m creeped out.   The wonderment of Oprah cannot remove the image of a pregnant “man” out of my head.

           No, no.  This is wrong.  I need to research Identity Dyslexia more.  It will not make me a better person if I don’t try to understand what I don’t understand.

           There is a program that could help me through this.  It’s focused on people whom suffer from Identity Dyslexia.   An average person during the daytime who holds a dark secret at night. 

            I believe this program will help wrap my mind around Identity Dyslexia.

            Hannah Montana.   

Thomas Beatie and the "man-baby"

Honestly, this disgusts me. As a Christian, I know that you cannot be a man born in a woman's body or whatnot, but this guy is not really a woman after the gender-altering surgery, so I can only honestly call him an "it." I'm not joking. This is so immoral. Honestly, I believe that God will allow the baby to be miscarried, or it'll be deformed, or sterile. Any or all of the above. Ugh.

High fuel costs

Okay, this is old news, but I haven't spoken my opinion on it yet. It's ethanol's fault. You know, with all energy wasted on the stupid stuff, overall you're using more energy to produce ethanol than you do by using gasoline without ethanol! Might as well go to vegetable oil engines. Case closed.

Economic recession

Might I say anything else? It happens, okay? If we didn't ever have a recession, honestly I'd be worried. In a few years, we'll be back to normal.

Hillary and Obama

I see the "war" between the two candidates as a good thing. But, I'm a Republican. The longer these two fight each other, the more ground John McCain is gaining. It's also ruining Obama's reputation. Pretty good stuff, eh?

Now I'm thinking about Thomas Beatie, the pregnant (trans)man and the line between disgust and humor. Let me clarify: anyone remember Junior with Arnold Schwarzenegger?  Schwarzenegger played a scientist who volunteered to become pregnant and test some new fertility treatment. Hilarity ensued as the ultra-masculine Ahnold dealt with hormone surges and backaches. Funny, right?

Fast forward fourteen years and now fiction has become reality. Because Beatie wasn't required to have a hysterectomy, he is able to bear the child that his wife cannot. He suspends his testosterone treatments, but doesn't shave his beard, and is the world's first pregnant man. Funny? No.

Mainstream media like MSNBC has no problem reporting this in the category of "News you can't use" and making editorial remarks like "sick" and "I don't want to hear about this."

I understand that this is not "normal" for our species (and by normal I mean statistically prevalent, not in the sense of normative). So there is bound to be surprise and shock. But what is it that pushes the surprise into the realm of visceral disgust? What is so threatening about making Schwarzenegger's movie a reality?

It seems like there are only a few ways that this story can be processed through our society's rigid gender binaries:

1. The transman is not really a man. This means that a highly masculine woman is having a child. The couple is really a lesbian couple, which is the problem.

2. The transman is a man. This means that a man is having a child. This is biologically implausible, which is the problem.

In the media coverage, I haven't seen #1 talked about, so I don't think that's the gut reaction that is going on. I've seen something short o# 2, but the repeated use of the pronoun "she" by the mockers, and questions like "If she's the mother, who's the daddy?" makes me suspect they don't really consider Thomas Beatie a "real man."

That leaves:

3. The transman is a man. But the transman has female "bits." This is ambiguous and scary. This is the problem.

On closer reflection, though, #3 also holds the solution to the disgust. The disgust is brought on because we can't fit this circumstance into our gender binary. Men don't get pregnant. That's the stuff of fiction and humor (and pregnant women's fantasies, don't forget).

But within number 3, we've already implicitly established that gender is not 100% biological. If this could be brought out more clearly, then perhaps there could be some movement away from the knee-jerk dismissal (whether through mocking laughter or visceral disgust) and we could talk about what it means to bear a child, to be a father, to be a man, to be a woman, etc.

If we can't overcome these really basic obstacle, how are we going to move forward? Everyone's saying, "What did he expect, coming out in front of the national news media, getting interviewed by Oprah, than to be turned into something of a sideshow freak?"

We're all kind of sideshow freaks, after all, guys. Like it or not. It's only a question of whether or not we want to embrace and deal with our freakiness maturely. I think that the Beaties are trying to do the world a great service by standing up as representatives of a new standard of gender normalcy -- one into which the oppressive binary structure just doesn't factor as much. They're living, within the confines of a gendered society (and even Oprah has to admit that our society is deeply gendered), with as little regard for what we deem "normally gendered" as humanly possible.

The Beaties, while courageous, aren't doing the world the greatest service they might be. Using the binary rhetoric that the mainstream media wants to see is mere collusion; though we recognize our oppression, we're failing to empower ourselves to overcome it. Education is one thing, but as I mentioned to someone before regarding the Oprah interview, a twelve-year-old can work Wikipedia. There are quick and easy ways to educate oneself on the internet. I'm sure Oprah has the internet. (Correct me if I'm wrong here.)

But it isn't up to Oprah to change the rhetoric surrounding gendered oppression. It's up to righteous folks like Thomas Beatie to not only let the world know that he exists, but to up the ante and refuse to buy into the words that the mainstream media wants to put into his mouth. Sure it's going to take longer to explain, but he did have a major interview on Oprah, in addition to further interviews with other news sources. Don't tell me that we need sound bytes. That's exactly the problem. The expectations need to change.

I'm tired of putting up with this bullshit. I'm tired of hearing these crass jibes being made at people who are trying to live their lives lovingly and justly. I'm tired of seeing such people refuse to take a stand against the linguistic barriers our society has put into place, and subsequently colluding with gendered oppression. The only way to change the way people think about non-binary gender situations is to change the rhetoric surrounding gender itself, feminism itself. It's high time someone stood up and said so.

Here's the original article. Thomas Beatie, a once Miss Teen Hawaii Finalist, is now a transgender male that finds himself pregnant, carrying his soon to be daughter. (this isn't the first time, either)

It's all a little strange to me. I feel like I'm watching a rerun of the 1994 Arnold Schwarzeneggar classic, Junior. Here's a few quotes from Mr. Beatie,

"I actually opted not to do anything to my reproductive organs because I wanted to have a child one day. I see pregnancy as a process and it doesn't define who I am,"

"I feel it's not a male or female desire to have a child. It's a human need. I'm a person and I have the right to have a biological child."

"Love makes a family and that's all that matters,"

What's next really? It's scary to think of male pregnancy as the future, not because of it's novelty and uncertainty, but simply because this now tampers with God's creation order. Things like designer babies (where you pick and choose character traits, color of hair, etc.) are just around the corner. We have the technology for it and it seems like our society has the tolerance for it (or at least we're going in that direction). It's all just a bit disturbing to me.

This is so representative of our "me" post-modern culture. There are no rules, no boundaries, and all truth is so relative that it's inconsequential. Nothing can keep me from one day deciding that I'm a goat. If I feel like I'm a goat, then by my right to be who I feel like, I am a goat. And I wouldn't be surprised if I went out on Oprah saying that I am now legally considered a goat, that the world wouldn't embrace me as such. Isn't this the sentiment here? Our world has blurred the lines of truth and subjectivity so much that it doesn't know what to believe any more. We'll swallow just about any pill given to us, as long as it's wrapped in the frill of tolerance and individuality.

There's so much to say on this issue, but for one, I must say, "Wake up, people!" Let's not be lulled to sleep by an "ignorance is bliss" attitude. Let's not put aside truth in the name of tolerance. "Wake up!"

The Advocate was the (evidently) first media outlet to report the story. The article linked above was written by Beatie. Robert Haaland's response to Beatie's story was interesting to me -- and seemed to miss the point. Even Haaland interchanges the words "male" and "man." Haaland is a trans activist -- but why is he interchanging the terms for sex and gender? Guys, seriously: I explain this to newbies to the transgender cause every day, but they usually catch on the first time. Sex is biological. Gender is a social construction. You can't go around interchanging sex and gender identifiers willy-nilly. That's what the mainstream expects to see. The truth of the matter is much more complex; if we're not ready to step in and take responsibility for correctly portraying that complexity in the media, then who will?

To me, Beatie is, perhaps unwittingly, a post-gender early adopter. I say this because he's not letting the gender binary get in his way, even "after" his "transition," which has included a legal sex change to male. While this sort of thing definitely rings of old-guard transgender practice, and while I'd be more comfortable if my driver's license said "M" instead of "F," Beatie's childbearing desire is as post-gender as it gets.

You see, if childbearing is a job assigned to women as a gender, Beatie, who has been taking on a man's role in our gendered society is really beautifully synthesizing both Western man and Western woman. I don't think Beatie is afraid of the implications of this -- and the fact that even members of the transgender population have found this repulsive or aberrant is evidence to me of our unwillingness to undo the bindings of gender.

While this obviously wouldn't be possible without modern medicine, I don't think that this biological play is unnatural. The way childbirth takes place in industrialized societies in general is a boon of modern medicine, and it saves lives. Birthing children the "natural" way is pretty rough on both the kid and the parents, increasing the potential for death during or after labor for the baby and the birth parent. Playing god is what technology does best. It's not magic, it's science. That's really not the ultimate question here, though.

Congratulations to the Beaties! Even if post-gender is not Thomas's stated philosophy of gender identity, he sure is living it out. I think that, to the horror of the naysayers, that post-gender is the future. It is the future of feminism and it is the future of society. It's the only way to gender equality. Right on.

My question is....is She, or He as is the term for this person, now taking male hormones?  If so, what is the risk of that to an unborn baby?  I know when I was expecting I didn't want to put anything unnatural in my body.

So will (s)he be able to endure labor pains as a woman or will he not be able to "take it like a man"?!  That is the part I want to see!  And if (s)he does spit this child out in a maternity ward, will the baby be out in 10 seconds because of pushes backed a little bit with the help of testosterone?  Hey there is a thought for all of you WOMEN who have actually endured labor and birth.  Maybe they could beef us up with a little testosterone for the next delivery so we can give some hefty pushes and pop those little cradle inhabitants out in record time.

I have to say WOW, I think some lines are blurred here!  I am not sure which ones though because it hurts me too much to think about it!!  I thought (s)he wanted to be a man?  Does this mean all men are going to start having babies?  Yeah right!  They have nothing on us Girly Girls!

Ante las preguntas de Winfrey sobre si entendía que la gente no comprendiese su situación, Thomas indicó que "comprendo que mi situación puede ser sorprendente, pero es posible, y la gente tiene que estar preparada para aceptarla porque el embarazo es sólo un proceso y todo ser humano tiene derecho a decidir si quiere tener hijos biológicos".

Las dos hijas fruto de la anterior relación de Nancy, su pareja, acudieron de invitadas. Definieron a la pareja como "modelica", y afirmaron que su futura hermanastra crecerá feliz porque "tendrá unos padres maravillosos que se quieren muchísimo".

La ginecóloga que atiende a Beatie, Kimberly James, participó por videoconferencia. Resto importancia al hecho de que este caso pueda afectar negativamente a su reputación, porque "desde que lo conocí sentí que debía hacerme cargo de su salud, ya que son un matrimonio muy leal que merece cuidados médicos de calidad, como todas las personas".

I then read the article in the Advocate and had a gazillion thoughts on it.  Last night my friend C was over and said that the pregnant man was on Oprah.  So I thought I'd better get my ass in gear and write this blog.

Thomas is transgendered female to male, and pregnant.  Thomas identifies as male. Here's my hang up: If you thought all of your life you were male, identified as male, and are transgendered and want to be male, why are you pregnant?

Perhaps I'm not getting it.  I don't know many men who would want to have a baby in their body.  I understand that Thomas's wife couldn't get pregnant so he stopped taking his hormones so he could.  But what man has that option? It seems to me that Thomas wants to have his cake and eat it, too.

I thought someone was transgendered because they always felt they were in the wrong body.  That they wanted to be a man,and they felt like a man.  My concern is this: does Thomas getting pregnant set back the transgendered cause?

Now with all the hype surrounding Thomas Beatie it seems to have become a side show.  I know this is going to sound harsh, but is Thomas really a man?  In my opinion no.  Perhaps at one point Thomas was male, he passed as a male, wanted to be male, but men don't get pregnant.

Right now, to me, it feels a bit like a freak show and should be titled: Bearded Lady Has Baby.

I'm sure most of you have seen the picture of the pregnant 'man' floating around the 'net. No, it's no hoax, it's real. But it's not what most people think. It's not a man who magically got pregnant, it's a woman who became a man who then became a woman again temporarily to get pregnant. Confused yet? Angry? Let's take a closer look at why everyone's in a hissy-fit over this story...

It IS A Biological Woman
Thomas Beatie was born a woman but felt his gender was male so he latter had a sex change. (He is what's known as transmen.) In his case, he decided not to have the complete surgery, and left the sexual organs intact as well as the ovaries. (Which is why he could become pregnant.) So, to make this simpler, here's what happened in his life..

1. Born a woman.
2. Latter felt she should really be a man.
3. Had therapy and surgery to become more like a man.
4. Wanted children and as wife couldn't have any, he decided to temporarily revert to a she to become pregnant.
5. Proffit Err, Children.

So again, it's not a guy who became pregnant. It's a biological woman who is gendered as a male who became pregnant. Of course, that still won't make people like the Catholic Church any happier, but at least people won't think of this guy as an 'absolute' freak. (Like the media is currently making him out to be in their headlines.) When, now a she, is done with the pregnancy, she will become a he once more.

Why Is The GBLT Community In A Hissy?
I was hearing on the radio on how some of the transgendered community feel this kind of action is 'inappropriate' because he is weaving in and out of gender roles, making a bad impression for everyone else. Yet, drag queens do this on a daily basis. A good friend of mine can put on a great show as a woman, yet 30 minutes later come out as a guy and there's a good seperation of the two. The point I'm trying to make here is that there are quasi-gendered people everywhere.

Of course, living permanently as a particular gender is another thing. Thomas Beatie, I'm sure, fought very hard to become more masculine and have his legal gender labled as 'male' so he could get married. Many transgendered people fight tooth and nail every moments of their lives to try to live in a 'normal' society, so I could possibly see why they are angry at Thomas. However, in the end, what difference does it make if he switches genders for a while to have a baby? Why not accept the fact that there is going to be a lot more quasi-gender issue like this in the future? It never ceases to amaze me how split up the GBLT community can get at times...  <_<

The pregnant man completes the second phase of his media trifecta: he/she appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show Thursday. The first phase is to call a press conference: check.

The third phase involves the book deal and the TV movie.

Then well-deserved obscurity, broken only by appearances as an answer to trivia questions and "Where are they now" stories 10 years later.

Reactions to Thomas Beatie and wife Nancy's second phase.

"An American man who claims he is six months pregnant said it was a "miracle" in his first TV interview. Thomas Beatie, 34, of Bend, Oregon, used to be a woman before undergoing gender reassignment surgery.

He first claimed he was pregnant in an article headlined "Labour of love" in a gay magazine, the Advocate, last month. Many were sceptical, particularly after Beatie said he would not give any interviews until April Fools' Day."
--Pregnant Man Goes on Oprah Winfrey show

"When Thomas Beatie’s wife Nancy was unable to conceive, the Bend, Oregon resident stepped up to the biological plate and the now five months pregnant man is due in July with the couple’s first child.

“Wanting to have a biological child is neither a male nor female desire, but a human desire,” he wrote. “To Nancy, I am her husband carrying our child. I will be my daughter’s father, and Nancy will be her mother. We will be a family.”

Beatie, a female-to-male transexual, decided to keep his/her female reproductive organs even though he was now considered legally male after his female-to-male gender switch ten years ago. He and his wife Nancy moved to the town of Bend, Oregon two years ago where he operated a screen printing business."
--Source: Pregnant “Man” Due in July After Wife Unable to Conceive

Read more in Pregnant Man on Oprah; Completes 2nd Phase of Media Trifecta at DBKP.com.

The first pregnant man in the history (no hoax).

He was born a transgender, was raised as a girl, legally became a man, married a woman, and now has been carrying their baby in his female part of reproductive organ for 6 months.

Your opinion?