This is a very complex situation. If there is one thing people love to do, its putting labels on anything and everything - this story will have many talking at the water cooler for months. Which is a good thing... even if it would seem at first strange or even negative.
I know many in the transgender community that were upset about this story when it first broke. Their fear was and is, that the main stream of society would once again be left by the media being "hood-winked" and rope-a-doped into the old "guy in a dress gag" - only this time, the punch line is its a woman impersonating a man.
Clearly, it is difficult for many to accept transgender people for who they are, even at face value. When they see a woman stand infront of them, most never question in their minds "Gee, I wonder what they would look like as a man". Once someone has knowledge that you are Transgender, that can't help themselves to start cross-examining you in their mind what you must have looked like or sounded like "before".
So, now ABC asks America, and the world: "Pregnant Man?"
Anatomically, Beattie is female. Granted. When he transitioned, he underwent a mastectomy, took hormones to grow some facial and body hair and finished it off with a quick stop to the court house to change his name legally to "Thomas". These things however, did NOT make him a male. They helped him to "pass" as a male, but we are not talking about "parts" and "semantics" of ones gender. What we are talking about here is one's gender "identity"... ah HA! you say.
Thomas is "male" because he identify's that way. the same way anyone would identify as a Beatles Fan, or a lover of Dogs, or a chocolate ice cream addict. No one can REALLY needs to explain why they are these things - THEY JUST ARE. Gender is the same thing. You "identify" your gender... it does NOT matter what genitals you were born with. Those genitals are just PARTS. Your parts are by design for sexual reproduction. Your sexual preference has nothing to do with what parts you are born with either. Just because you were born with a penis, doesn't mean that you will be attracted to women. Mainstream society and the bible (written by men) would have you believe and fear, that, the parts you were born with, dictate who you should love, and what colors you should like - Blue for boys, Pink for Girls... *sig* Can you feel the migraine head ache coming on yet?
The Pregnant Man challenges all the rules.
No doubt, people will label Thomas Beattie a "woman" that had a baby. Wrong. Thomas "identifies as a man. This is completely ignorant - choosing only testicles and ovaries as the indicator of one’s true sex has been totally dismissed by modern science. There are women born with no ovaries, men born with no testicles and their true sex as they perceive it is often clearly that of a man or a woman. Transsexuals understand this too, and it is not arbitrary to their genitals. When they are able to understand, express or voice it, they will begin to self identify in the gender they choose - but this is not an over night thing for many. For some, it is clear right away. Others struggle or are afraid to "come out" and do something about it.
Media can not, and never will get it right. I am currently involved with a project now (with ABC I might add) filming my own story (more on this to come). But I fear.. no, I "KNOW" that most in the transgender community are going to HATE IT, pick me apart, and they are going to be as clueless, as the main stream is in trying to understand ANYONE that is transgender, on television. My story will be no exception.
In related news:
 |
| Chloe Prince & Jenny Boylan Fantasia Fair 2008 |
You won't want to miss this - set your DVR's and VCR's!!!
What are your thoughts on Pregnant Man?
**To the Beattie family: My best wishes to you *hugs*
Hey, he looks kind of like a younger version of my boyfriend... I've been waiting 2 1/2 years for him to have his baby! (Can't really talk though... I used to have a big gut myself... lol)
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, I totally agree with Alexandra. More than that, I simply cannot imagine how an FTM could even consider something as inherently female as pregnancy to be a viable option.
I feel it is nothing less than a 'freak show' that the news hungry media exploits. It does nothing positive for the transgender community and our rights to be equals amongst our non-traditional lifestyle peers. It is actually very harmful.
ReplyDeleteHummh, no wonder I don't watch ABC and esp. Baba Waters (from the good-ol-days from Saturday Nite Live). I for one won't be watching despite even with Jen Boyland being on the show (which also is not the right call - if Jenny really thinks it through).
Monique
woops, that's 'Baba Wawa'. You older gals know what I mean. Hummh, is Baba and ABC resorting to 'Jerry Springer' type of "journalistic professionalism" ".
ReplyDeleteWell, it seems that it's already been said as well as it could by Alex.
ReplyDeleteWe don't need this rubbish on our TV screens and like Alexsaid, we're always questioned. I was too when people read about it in the tabloid paper that brought it to the UK.
This person should have avoided the media. I feel that he mocks those of us who have transitioned and can not have a child.
ReplyDeleteI agree with ya'll. I wonder how much, if any, was premeditated for a book deal and the obligatory 15 minutes of notoriety we heap on people. With HIPA rules and such I wonder how the media found out? Someone had to spill the beans, and for what good? Not for the good of the baby! Just to sell air time. Am I too harsh or just a little bit jealous?
ReplyDeleteI think it's kind of creepy and almost like someone wants to make a name for themself, not to mention some money
ReplyDeleteDebby is spot on!! Imagine what kind of life the children are going to have to endure if people find out what their dad is famous for??!!
ReplyDeleteThe thing that I did not like was the fact the Television and or News Media made it sound as if a genetic male was pregnant and should have said Transsexual or Transman was pregnant. It just seems to give people the wrong idea about us and we need to correct this.
ReplyDeleteI agree with, Alenandera, leggtv, Nikki, Kat, Ally, Debby, Davin, and Leslie. You would not believe the conversations I have had to suffer from transgender haters at work because this went on national tv. All it did was make us look like freaks. It is just more fuel for the haters. They should have kept it private in their family.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard enough to essemulate into the gender role we really are inside with out this attention.