Pregnant Man Due in July

No, this is not a National Enquirer article.

It's all over the news now that the story appeared in The Advocate. (The pregnant man, Thomas Beatie, is transgendered.)

The Advocate's website is down right now, overloaded with visitors, I'm sure.

I wonder why this story is getting so much press when, apparently, Beatie's not the first man to give birth, at least according to ABC News:

"Beatie, who was born a woman named Tracy Lagondino, had reassignment surgery to appear as a man outwardly, but he never surgically altered his reproductive organs, he said in the article. He only had chest reconstruction and began taking testosterone, Beatie said, meaning he still has ovaries and a uterus.

Now Beatie, who said he was able to get pregnant using artificial insemination, is expecting a baby girl with his wife, Nancy. He said he was 22 weeks along. The baby is due July 3.

But Beatie's case, while uncommon, is not unique. Another transgender man has given birth before, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center obstetrician Dr. Lisa Masterson said on Good Morning America today.

'A transgender man can be pregnant because he has the same organs as a woman,' she said, adding that Beatie should have no problem having a baby."

I'm sure the religious right is going to have a big freak-out. But what's great about it is: they can't stop it. The combination of queer rights and science (combined with backlash) will, no doubt, be continuing to push the gender envelope in all kinds of ways.

Ideally, this means more freedom from gender straight-jackets. Of course in the meantime, it will unfortunately mean a conflagration of bigotry and fear.

Addendum: Joe.My.God's blog pointed me to this article about two transmen (one of whom is the well-known trans activist and writer Pat Califia) who had a baby. My favorite line is: "My boyfriend is the mother of my child."