The "First" Pregnant Man

Thomas Beatie is legally married, legally male and pregnant. His pregnancy has caught the attention of numerous media outlets, even Oprah and People magazine. Originally thought to be a hoax, his ultrasound on Oprah along with an interview with him and his wife, seems to have convinced the public that this man is pregnant.

Thomas Beatie is transgendered man. The biology behind is pregnancy is pretty simple. By stopping testosterone injections Thomas Beatie was able to get pregnant through artificial insemination. It's hard for me to believe Thomas Beatie is the first pregnant man for this reason. Some websites claim the first pregnant man was a transgendered, homosexual man about 20 years ago. Some intersex individuals who live as men can also have children, so it's very possible Thomas Beatie is not the first pregnant man.

I was surprised by my own reaction to the picture of Thomas Beatie as a pregnant man. I thought it was beautiful and his own words written in the Advocate equally as beautiful. Giving birth is an amazing experience, but one I always thought of as woman only. I see power in the ability for a woman to give birth, but also to have the ability to control that power in a way which men cannot. A transgendered male challenges pregnancy as being a woman only experience and challenges how many women view their gender role.

It equally challenges men on their roles as fathers and nurtures. If a male can be pregnant, then a male can also nurture. Few men know that males are physically able to breastfeed a child and in our society it's far from an expectation. Every man could have a greater influence and more active role as a parent if he was interested in throwing gender stereotypes out the window.

It's easy for me to relinquish the power of pregnancy, childbearing and breastfeeding, if men were willing to take on some of the responsibility. If feminism is truly about equality, blurring the lines between the genders can only be a positive.