The pregnant man is now a mother! That's the snide remark I heard from my dad as he was watching the news earlier today, reacting to the headline about Thomas Beatie. The American man, dubbed as the world's first pregnant man, has given birth to a baby girl in the state of Oregon. Thirty-four-year-old Thomas Beatie was born a woman, underwent gender realignment surgery and is now legally recognized as a man. He was able to conceive because he retained his female organs when he underwent the sex change. Beatie has revealed that he gave birth to a healthy baby girl on Sunday and plans to write a book about his experience.

As expected, Dad was all sneers, similar to his reaction when news broke out of the pregnancy several months back. I remember his comment then. "What is happening to our world? Women becoming men, men having babies!" I understand how he felt, and others like him from the old school. This is something quite
different especially from an ultra conservative Pinoy's perspective. Being a transgender is one thing but motherhood (fatherhood?) is something even weirder and unacceptable to him. And when he found out that Thomas Beatie is half Pinoy, I could feel the contempt and shame oozing from his pores.

Though I also find the whole story weird, I don't agree with my dad. Live and let live, that has been my policy. Everyone of us is different and I do not think it's proper to judge others who have chosen to take an uncommon path. Moreover, I think that Thomas Beatie, his family and others in similar situations need our understanding and support in this issue. Being different is hard enough as it is without people judging you and your choice of lifestyle.

Thomas Beatie (Thomas Beattie) Pregnant Man

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