Thomas Beatie (34) lives in Bend, Oregon, with his wife, Nancy (45). The couple run a small screen printing business called Define Normal which is perhaps a hint to the story that is rumbling beneath the outward appearance of their ‘normal’ life, because Thomas is pregnant!
The story sounds like it has been lifted from the fantastical pages of the National Enquirer, but instead it appeared in a recent issue of The Advocate. Alongside a picture of himself looking somewhat pregnant, Beatie announces that after quite some effort the couple are expecting their first child, a daughter, on July 3rd.
If the story were to end there then it would likely be dismissed, but the hook element that captured the attention of the mainstream media is the fact that Thomas Beatie from Bend, Oregon, used to be Tracy LaGondino from Honolulu, Hawaii, before she had sex reassignment to become a he‘
“Sterilization is not a requirement for sex reassignment [surgery], so I decided to have chest reconstruction and testosterone therapy but kept my reproductive rights.” Writes Beatie for The Advocate. “Wanting to have a biological child is neither a male nor female desire, but a human desire.”
The couple claim to have decided that Thomas would carry their child because Nancy is unable to have children after having surgery for severe endometriosis. Beatie stopped taking testosterone injections and his “body regulated itself,” he wrote. This is apparently Beatie’s second pregnancy after a first was aborted due to complications.
The article which has drawn worldwide attention ends with Beatie asking everyone to “embrace the gamut of human possibility and to define for themselves what is normal.”
My immediate suspicions were that this was simply an elaborate publicity stunt not unlike similar hoaxes in the past (notably the God Hates a Fag song by Donnie Davies), and that after a while the story would simply run out of steam by itself.
However, it would appear that the story is indeed real and that Thomas Beatie, once known as prominent gay rights activist Tracy LaGondino, the one time chairwoman for the Civil Unions-Civil Rights group in Hawaii, is indeed having a baby.
Yesterday Oprah Winfrey announced that Beatie and his wife will be appearing in an interview on her show tomorrow (Thursday 3rd April) along with their obstetrician and friends and footage of the father having an Ultrasound. (See that here.)
Amazing as it might sound though, Beatie won’t be the first ‘man’ to give birth. Back in 1999 a transgendered gay couple from New York (both formerly females) announced they were having a baby. Writing for The Village Voice Patrick Califia, a transgendered pornographer and therapist, wrote about some of the issues of parenthood he and his partner, Matt Rice, who bore the child, were now facing.
“Matt and I are doing something most people take for granted. We are two people in love who live together and raise a child. We plan to be together for the rest of our lives. But our family is not like other families, and so we are always afraid that some malicious person or powerful institution will take action against us and disrupt our lives. That’s because we are both transgendered men (female-to-male or FTM), and my boyfriend is the mother of my child.” Wrote Califia. The couple have since split up.
At this stage I am curious as to what motivated Beatie and his wife to make their pregnancy public. In his article in The Advocate Beatie writes of discrimination toward the couple as they tried to get pregnant. “Our situation sparks legal, political, and social unknowns.” He writes. “Doctors have discriminated against us, turning us away due to their religious beliefs.”
However, with Oprah Winfrey and People Magazine being granted exclusive rights to the first interview with the couple, I find myself wondering if behind all the righteous talk about rights and discriminations perhaps there could be another powerful incentive at work, that incentive being money.
One would imagine that the deal with the Oprah Show and People Magazine will have paid handsomely for those exclusive rights, and given the worldwide interest in the story it’s not unfair to suggest that other similar deals will follow. Indeed, from this angle it would seem as if the whole affair has been carefully stage managed to create maximum media interest.
So among all the other questions that this story raises, I find myself wondering if the decision to go public with their story was right or not. Some might say that they’re simply taking a rare opportunity to generate the funds to raise their child and give her the best start they can in life. Others might scorn what could be seen as a cynical manipulation of a morally murky subject. In the end only time will tell, though I rather think that unless the story has continued tabloid value, we’re unlikely to see how this all unfolds over the course of years ahead.
—
Labor of Love
In Response to “Labor of Love”
Pregnant man stuns medical profession
Man who used to be a woman claims to be five months pregnant
A pregnant man?
Family Values : Two Dads with a difference
God hates a fag?
Let’s get this straight
What makes me a woman?
[Video] Man from Oregon to give birth in July
Additional link : [Video] Pregnant Thomas Beatie gets an ultrsound
Wrote the following comment on Apr 2, 2008 at 1:40 pm
Let us not confuse by unfair association those who have medical issues…
Every ten minutes a child is born, 1/2500, in which the doctor cannot determine the sex, or gender. This is not talking about homosexuality, but tragically a congenital condition of birth which can be caused by endocrine agents and chemicals. These children are Intersex; they are born into a life of not male or female. Likewise in similar fashion the Transsexual is identified with a Bioneurological congenital condition, and they too are locked into something not quite so clearly defined as male, or female. The best we can do is live as close to what we seem to believe we are. That may preclude the wants, and often ignorant and bigoted beliefs of others.
In what case do we ignore this issue and abandon the children who now cannot hide? How can anyone continue in hate and prejudice so as to deny simple equality and justice? Not an easy thing to resolve, but one that is present and will not go away. I can appreciate social opinion, and the freedom to express same, but I would hope our culture and ethos would be with regard to the children, teens, and emerging adults, and all who are not so fortunate to have been born by someone’s idea of “normal.”
Stellewriter – Conservative Christian, Parent, and Transsexual.
Wrote the following comment on Apr 2, 2008 at 3:20 pm
For someone who stopped her testosterone treatment, she’s really hairy. I have concerns about what that will do to the baby.. but I guess only time will tell.
Wrote the following comment on Apr 2, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Et alors ?
Pourquoi tant de reactions negatives ?
Pourquoi jugez vous ? de quel droit ?
Ne croyez vous pas que tous les efforts extra-ordinaires de ces parents
et de toute l’equipe medicale qui les entoure ne suffisent pas a leur peine ?
Puisque c’est contre nature, vous condamnez ?
Pensez a toutes ces pratiques medicales modernes qui sauvent des vies aujourd’hui, pourquoi ne serviraient elles pas le bonheur de tous ?
Le privilege de porter un enfant ne sera plus celui des femmes et tant mieux ! C’est ca la parite ! Bravo ! Et soyez heureux !
Wrote the following comment on Apr 2, 2008 at 4:56 pm
This kind of thing is truly disgusting. Why do the media and bloggers like you continue to give these twisted people any kind of coverage at all? They are an abomination unto God. I pity the poor child who is brought into the world in such unfit circumstances.
Wrote the following comment on Apr 2, 2008 at 5:32 pm
I consider myself to be quite progressive but Thomas Beatie is no more or a man than I am. Taking bimonthly testosterone injections, developing facial fur, and walking with a swagger doesn’t make you a man. Thomas Beatie is therefore still a woman, and this is all just about grabbing headlines, and as you rightly suspect Simon, grabbing the cash that goes along with that.
Wrote the following comment on Apr 2, 2008 at 5:49 pm
A while back I was talking with a friend who is living the life of man, because of his Intersex condition. I use “He” loosely as he is really a woman, at least partly, as it is how he can best describe him/her-self. He is legally married to a woman. He has both male and female genitals and as such has a penis and vagina. Unlike the couple in the article this person had to grow up in a world where people treat others out of the norm as freaks. Legally he can identify as either sex. Some have both xx & xy chromosomes as do some exhibit other mixed characteristics. It is not simple!
As a Christian, I wonder how others can face God and hold blind hate? I wonder how a mother and father may view their own child who has a 1/100 chance to have some form of hypodysplasia or other genital malformation? I just wonder how some can face themselves in the mirror? I would be taken as female in my appearance and character, but it was not till after my family was grown that I decided to repair some of my physical issues. Am I “now” the freak, or was I an abomination from birth? And to this point I have said nothing about being gay; I am not.
I do care for this family and hope their child is well and has the ability to be loved, grow, and honor God. Wouldn’t that be wonderful!
Wrote the following comment on Apr 2, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Okay, So if sexual reassignment surgery doesn’t involve getting rid of the lady garden then what exactly has been redefined? I’m not an MD or a lawyer, but surely if this guy still has his lady garden then is he still technically a she, even if she is legally a he?
Surely a true sexual reassignment would involve some extensive re-plumbing? If I put a couch and a TV in my bathroom but keep the toilet, wash basin, shower and bath in there, could I now classify it as a family room? I might try that when it comes time to sell this place!
Regardless of all the hoopla, blessings to Mr. Beatie and his wife and the little girl. May all be well. I think its a wonderful thing to become a parent. We’re not quite done having kids just yet, my husband and I plan to have one more. I think perhaps I’ll pass the pregnancy reigns over to him for this last time around that particular block!
Wrote the following comment on Apr 2, 2008 at 6:20 pm
Yes, reassignment is a definitive move. However, not all are able to do so because of health or other reasons. And again, there are those who are outside of the common definition of gender, or sex. A medical doctor friend is transitioned and has a clinic which specializes in I/T care. She as well has difficulty in arriving at the best definition and care. She is recognized as a Christian women’s Educator/advocate, but is herself often facing discrimination.
I guess, in my view, it is always a wonderment how someone else’s sexual cravings, or their identification is of any relevance to my life; assuming they are not inflicting me with their actions. I try to live mine within my own back yard. The most bigoted people I find are those who are insecure in their own being. Yet, fear and lack of understanding has plagued mankind since the beginning. No easy answers here!
Wrote the following comment on Apr 2, 2008 at 7:04 pm
Define normal : Men have a penis, women have vaginas. This isn’t a hard concept to grasp. THAT is normal, anything else is abnormal.
Wrote the following comment on Apr 2, 2008 at 7:40 pm
People will do anything to get camera time. This is not wrong for the reasons like religion, beliefs, or the sanctity of life but it is wrong because this person obviously desires attention for their extreme unique condition. Rather than contribute anything of meaning to this world we have people plotting their entire lives around getting camera time.
Wrote the following comment on Apr 2, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Y se envanecieron en sus razonamientos, cometiendo con avidez toda clase de impurezas.
Es una pena ver esta clase de personas, con una mente totalmente atrofiada.
Esta clase de personas se preguntan, Donde esta Dios? Sin embargo, Dios los busca, pero ellos se han alejado al extremo de Dios entregandose a estas asquerosidades.
Wrote the following comment on Apr 2, 2008 at 11:44 pm
This is sick!
Wrote the following comment on Apr 3, 2008 at 1:00 am
Since I am by definition “abnormal” then I guess it is a matter of decision as to whether I should be treated as a human being with all the rights of law, or well, … Shoot me!
Wrote the following comment on Apr 3, 2008 at 1:22 am
To be clear I merely defined normal. I did not suggest anyone should be treated unfairly or disrespectfully. Stellewriter very kindly pointed out that 1 out of every 2500 children born has an abnormality which leave the gender to be undetermined. This, as stellewriter explained, is abnormal by the fact that 2499 or of 2500 are able to be gender identified at birth.
Wrote the following comment on Apr 3, 2008 at 1:29 am
My first thought is for the health of the child – and of the mother. To me, taking all those hormones just can’t be a good thing.
Wrote the following comment on Apr 3, 2008 at 3:06 am
To reassign a quote; Normality is an illusion. Abnormality, doubly so. Normal is only normal to those who choose to accept it as normal. It’s not normal for mammals to don the skins of other mammals and clothe themselves in various plants and plant derivative materials. Yet in the ‘civilised’ world, to not do so is considered abnormal. We managed without, now to not do so in public is against ‘the law’ as it is ‘indecent exposure’ …of what we were born with?
Normality is a perspective that is constantly changing as circumstances change. I believe that normality is fluid, as is sexuality – pinning yourself down to one thing is foolish, instead we should just have a running ‘current preferences’
And that’s my word on that.
Wrote the following comment on Apr 3, 2008 at 3:12 am
p.s. in my opinion, anyone who has ever gotten in a metal cage, strapped themselves down to some foam using a plastic that rarely naturally occurs, then lets someone else put an explosive liquid into the metal cage (which just so happens to have wings) which they then specifically set on fire, in an attempt to fling themselves across an ocean or an island quicker than their legs could ever take them, (this is usually referred to as flying in an airplane) has given up all rights to try and define what is ‘normal’ and ‘natural’
Wrote the following comment on Apr 3, 2008 at 3:49 am
Josh, you express something I would hope all could grasp. If we were to accept natural and normality as a precept to authentic behavior and existence all of us would be dragging our knuckles in the dirt. As an example of how narrow one can be, assume that someone is kind, sensitive, and would shed tears over another being treated badly. Then put that same sensitive and caring person in a 300 pound, muscular and aboding body. It would be incongruous in current social terms to see a man of such sissy behavior. Now assume that he is also with child, forgetting about all of the other possibilities. If is tough to visualize that combination, imagine the difficulty of being such a conflict.
Wrote the following comment on Apr 3, 2008 at 11:30 am
What an amazing story. I am a gay woman and having children later in life will be a big challenge. People may think it is selfish for what this couple are doing, but when it comes dwn to it they are obviously dedicated to one another and to having a baby, they will love the kid a lot I imagine, and i guess you could argue the kid will be f’d up rahrahrah… but ‘yknow this kinda birth is probably seen as a lot more natural than a gay couple having a kid together. The baby will have a mother and father figure. I dont know that much about transgendered people, but basically they are the opposite sex to what they were born biologically, therefore this dude IS a dude. He is carrying a baby. That is it. They are just the same as any straight couple really… just the dude is carrying the baby. It’s like the Governator movie where he gives birth. I think this story is really inspiring and wish the couple all the best.
Wrote the following comment on Apr 3, 2008 at 1:21 pm
I’ve given up my right to define anything as normal because I have flown in planes then? Right, sure I have :-)
In effect then, what Josh and Stellewriter are saying, if I understand this correctly, is that none of us are actually allowed to define normal or use the word under any circumstances as it is inherently devoid of all meaning.
That is a bizarre way of looking at the world and language, but if it works for Josh and Stellewriter then who am I to argue with them. However, I think most people would agree that the word normal is used to describe an accepted commonality. Therefore if only 1 in 2500 children is born with undefined gender then it fair to catagorize this as abnormal.
A person walking down a road naked Josh, could indeed be described as abnormal. However, in a different context we could as humans describe ourselves as abnormal because we wear clothes. The application of standards depends on the context in which the standards are drawn.
Wrote the following comment on Apr 3, 2008 at 2:04 pm
nor·mal / Pronunciation[nawr-muhl]
–adjective
conforming to the standard or the common type; usual; not abnormal; regular; natural.
serving to establish a standard.
–noun
the average or mean: Production may fall below normal.
the standard or type.
Surely Josh and Stella use the word normal in their daily lives and if so I wonder if they might share with us how they come to be okay with the use of that word in any context?
Wrote the following comment on Apr 3, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Clearly the behaviour exhibited by this couple is not normal in the sense that they are craving an unwarranted level of media exposure.
Had they simply decided to have this child and lived in obscurity like the vast majority of their fellow parents, and simply concentrated on raising their child, I would have said, congratulations, and good luck. However they have chosen to incite the attention of perhaps the western worlds most conservative media. In that sense they are not behaving normally.
It is one thing to define something as being abnormal within the bounds of our social experience, it is another thing to define something as abnormal when you mean unnatural, which are two entirely different things. Sexual and gender issues occur naturally, they may not be common but it is entirely unfair and irrational to direct abuse or underhand comments at those who suffer from it. Such issues must cause substantial hardship for those people who suffer from it. Intolerance of it however seems to be confined to those people of a religious persuasion. Perhaps because their beliefs provide them with a soapbox from which they can direct their sometimes unsavoury views.
On the other hand it amazes me that a large part of the religious (read christian) right are constantly trying to define normal. Surely it cannot be considered normal to talk to invisible people. Not past adolescence certainly.
I could rant on, however i’m cooking my lunch, and i feel that requires my attention, and this post has already taken up more of my time than it deserved.
:)
Wrote the following comment on Apr 3, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Ken and others,
Please do not think that in anyway I am trying to take away your right to discriminate. We all do that. However, having a bias is not license to demean or reduce others so as to deny them equal access to medical care, meaningful employment, or simple and lawful equality. I have suffered and been beaten for what I am. That’s life! I only want others to know it is my reality, and that anyone of us could have been born a freak, or one of your children, whom you would have to decide to love, or hate.
In this world an African American would likely see black as normal, and white as something abnormal. I can accept being seen as abnormal, but not as a lesser human being. Yet, there are those who deny me what you take for granted. Right now I am trying to solve a medical need which is denied because I am classified “Transgendered”. I am denied critical care for that reason only, as it is written into law. I am a veteran who although legally and anatomically female, has records that state male. I am a non-person and have come to a place where the American Dream has dissolved into a lie. Others should know!
I guess that takes us back to the article and how society will face the question?
Wrote the following comment on Apr 3, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Stellewriter, you keep implying that I am encouraging or condoning behaviour which I have already stated is not right or acceptable. I am sorry for your suffering, I cannot imagine how difficult your life must have been at some points, and given this your continued assertion of the same things is understandable. You must often feel like it’s you against the world.
As for African Americans seeing black as nomal and white as abnormal, again I think this all depends on the context.
Wrote the following comment on Apr 3, 2008 at 3:51 pm
“A person walking down a road naked Josh, could indeed be described as abnormal. However, in a different context we could as humans describe ourselves as abnormal because we wear clothes. The application of standards depends on the context in which the standards are drawn.”
I think, Ken, that you and I are in agreement then that whilst ‘normal’ has a textbook definition, but has a very difficult real-life application as normal relies on perspective and context.
My point about the plane is to show how ludicrous we are about what we take for granted, and that if we accept this whole flying thing, then why can’t we accept that someone born with female genitalia might well feel more comfortable in a man’s skin, but still have the desire to bear a child?
In fact, in some ways it makes more sense – that instead of being given a gender, we choose it through experience. Same with sexuality.
Wrote the following comment on Apr 3, 2008 at 3:59 pm
Wait a second Josh. We “choose” our sexuality “through experience?”
I don’t remember choosing to be gay, but maybe you could tell us the story about when you sat down and decided what sexuality you wanted to be?
Wrote the following comment on Apr 3, 2008 at 4:47 pm
The man in this story is a woman. This is all a big fuss for nothing. If the headlines were a little more fact based and claims that this is a pregnant man were corrected to say this is a pregnant trans gender female, then who would give a rats ass about this story really?
It’s a freak show and I suspect that is exactly what the couple want it to be. The more headlines there are, the more opportunity they have to cash in on Tracy’s fury face.
There is no real difference between what they are doing and what the father of conjoined twins in India does when he charges people to look at his two daughters who are joined at the head.
Good luck to them I say. There’s a whole world of tabloid money they can make from this so why not.
Wrote the following comment on Apr 3, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Choosing gender by experience?!?!
that would be highly unfortunate given the corrupt and twisted world we live in. I think its a sad day when people chose their gender based on their incidents of sexual abuse or molestation growing up. Granted not everyone has negative experiences around their sexuality, but enough people do to make it a very valid point…
Wouldnt it be better if people chose to be the gender they were born with in their dna (and yes i understand their is a minority of exception here but i’m speaking to the majority) and worked through the negative experiences then allow those experiences to dictate what gender they chose?
Wrote the following comment on Apr 3, 2008 at 5:05 pm
Yes, sexuality is more inherent than just sitting down one day alongside your SATs and GCSEs or whatever and picking and choosing from a chart, I agree.
But I don’t tell people what their gender should be – some people feel that they’ve been given the wrong one, why should sexuality be any different?
The difference is that we don’t know if sexuality is changeable or not, and of no methods to do so, should we be so inclined.
Here, “The Forum”‘s wondeful saying ‘I choose it because I choose it” is wonderfully useful, but it makes little sense unless you’ve been through the whole thing. I’d have to sit down for a good couple of hours and discuss and explain it – but what it boils down to is that we always have a choice – even when, on the surface, it appears we do not.
We can be given something that wouldn’t have been our original choice, but we can still choose it and make the best of it. Or we can choose to fight it and hate it all the way, letting it depress us. It is like walking into a shop and choosing one ice cream, but them not having it – we still chose that ice cream.
We can then be given something else, and we can either choose it or not choose it. Either way, we still have it. In this way people can and do ‘choose’ their sexuality. I am comfortable with mine because I choose it.
I choose to be bisexual and enjoy it and love it and decide that actually it is the best way for me because it’s what feels right. Some people choose that what they find attractive is not what they are comfortable with and fight it. To me those people are choosing to be whatever else they’re trying to be, and who am I to tell them that they are wrong?
What I meant by ‘through experience’ is that we figure it out from experience, from what we enjoy, or do not enjoy. I do apologise that I put it in a way that doesn’t quite express what I meant – though it’s difficult to quite do so.
Wrote the following comment on Apr 3, 2008 at 6:21 pm
Some interesting comments. I like to think of myself as a fairly open minded chap but I’m going to have to agree with Ken I think, at least as far as the use of the word ‘normal’ is concerned. Normal is whatever the contextual average allows it to be. However debating the use of the word is missing the point I think.
Stellewriter has written about people born with both male and female genitalia, and this is indeed something that must be very difficult to live with. However, Tracy was born female, as was Nancy. Video footage shows that she lived as a female, and the two were in a lesbian affair before Tracy decided, at the age of 20 or so to have an operation what would enable her to look like a ‘normal’ man. The two appeared on the cover of a gay magazine dressed in bikinis, neither one seemed to be playing a more masculine role, they appeared to be normal lesbians by all accounts.
Tracy’s metamorphosis into Thomas seems strange when put in the context of their lives before Thomas, though maybe she was living as a woman who desperately felt she was a man. But how has the op changed anything? Is she happier now I wonder?
Tracy may now look more like a ‘normal’ man, but she doesn’t have all the machinery for the job surely? So when it comes time for a bit of bedroom action isn’t he back to being a she? Isn’t this then, in effect, just a hairy lesbian relationship?
If Tracy really wanted to be a man (and lets not forget she must have wanted it bad enough to have mutilating surgery) then why put herself in the limelight as being a freakish woMan? It seems strange to me that someone who felt they were a man inside, having gone through the pain of an operation and perhaps a lifetime of identity problems, would now be happy to become a freak show for the tabloid masses.
None of us will know of course, but I’m wondering if this is really what Thomas or Tracy wanted. If he was confused about his gender identification before, I cannot see how any of this is helping the guy.
Good luck to them though, they’re going to need it because all that money won’t buy them the happiness they want. They’ll need to find that some other way. Most of all though, gender issues and all that stuff aside, I hope most of all that the child grows up in a happy home and has extremely open minded and understanding friends who won’t give her a rough ride throughout the formative years of her childhood.
Wrote the following comment on Apr 3, 2008 at 7:40 pm
First I want to say that I am impressed by the kind and courteous conversations being made here. If I were sitting across from one of you at a cafe table you would assume that I was a natal female. Although I was raised as a male, my earliest memories were of a stress and anxiety that smothered me till I was able to transition. Although I could function as a male, I could not find a reasonable way to function or find what seemed to be normal. Not that I have gone through a long struggle to resolve both physical anomaly and emotional trauma, I am able to experience some sense of normal. Mission accomplished in some small way, even though it brings up a whole new mountain of issues. Those mainly from others and their trying to fathom what all of this means. That is okay, assuming that we can have open discussion as we are having here. My passion is not for my validation, but for the I/T young who like me are facing the future.
I do have one question regarding “behavior.” The word has been used in a couple of ways here. I would like to understand exactly what that is, how it was intended to be taken, and if possible applied to me. I am not looking for conflict or to create a fight, rather to understand and relate how I live as a Christian and responsible citizen. If is implied that my situation is sexual deviancy, I have not had a sexual relationship since my now dissolved marriage, and not really looking for one. It has been several years of celibacy. I believe in fidelity and chastity before God. I also wish to be virtuous and respectable to the individual that may one day come into my life. Yes, I am told that I am attractive, and some would like me to be promiscuous, but I do not desire that kind of behavior. With that said, what else is construed as a behavior issue?
Wrote the following comment on Apr 4, 2008 at 1:02 am
It’s always struck me as funny that you need a license to have a Dog in the UK, but anyone can have a baby. Maybe countries should consider birth in the same manner as they do citizenship. Parents could be made to prove that they are willing and able to bring a child into the world, be a suitable loving parent and guide to the child, and provide for it’s needs. People should be made to apply for the right to birth new citizens, and accidental pregnancies would be fine but anyone who didn’t reach enough point to be a parent would lose the child to a a better set of parents who can’t have kids or something.
Hey look, if we’re willing to have an open minded conversation about weirdy beardies having children then what’s wrong with discussing my thoughts?
Wrote the following comment on Apr 4, 2008 at 1:54 am
I always wondered what happened to Latoya Jackson.
Wrote the following comment on Apr 4, 2008 at 7:16 am
My first thought after getting a mere two paragraphs into this was “A man’s pregnant? Where’s it going to come out???”
Clearly there is much more to this story. Anyone who calls or goes on Oprah is only after one thing – CASH. If this couple were TRULY dedicated to one another with their only desire to have a child, then we never would have heard about this.
They have all the needed parts. So why’s Oprah involved???
Wrote the following comment on Apr 4, 2008 at 7:18 am
Oh, as a follow-up just want to mention that I LOVE that most of the folks bickering over this didn’t dare to put a link to their web sites.
Wrote the following comment on Apr 4, 2008 at 2:20 pm
For the record Bobgirrl, I don’t have a website to link to. I have a facebook but I don’t think that counts.
Wrote the following comment on Apr 4, 2008 at 5:21 pm
RE: Mister Eckted
You want the government to oversee your right to have a child? Move to China. Or try to adopt a child. Then see if you’re still in favor.
So did anyone watch the Oprah episode?
Wrote the following comment on Apr 4, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Note for Mister Ected.
I did try to email you this, but it seems the email address you have used is invalid, so I’ve no other way of getting this message to you other than posting it here.
I did not allow your comment (made at 6:46PM UK time) to be made public because of the use of offensive and inflammatory words. I considered editing it, however I decided that it would be best to allow you to rephrase your own comment if you still wish to do so.
This is NOT censorship of your point, but moderation of the way you expressed it which I am quite sure would be seen as deeply offensive and counterproductive to what has been a civil exchange of views so far.
Wrote the following comment on Apr 4, 2008 at 7:24 pm
I actually used those words because I wanted people to be upset at the point I was trying to say was a farce. But okay, I will re-phrase.
In response to Matt, is what I am suggesting really such a bad idea? People won’t discuss it because it seems like madness. But all the while children get born into shitty situations where the parents are awful and the downward cycle of society is given another turn.
So how do we stop that?
Sometimes I find myself feeling that the Christians, who are traditionally intolerant folk, might not have it all as wrong as our liberal society would have us believe.
Wrote the following comment on Apr 4, 2008 at 11:52 pm
hola mi nombre es jessica soy de tabasco y la verdad estoy sorprendida.
sololes digo que las admiro por la deción y la fuerza de su amor.
dios las bendiga a la nueva bebe que viene en camino.
kiss
Wrote the following comment on Apr 5, 2008 at 9:29 am
34 is absolutely right. Without the apparatus, where’s the birth canal?! “Thomas” has all the DNA for a female, and of course there’s going to be maternal feelings for “Tracy” as she’s preparing for motherhood—-this story is about two lesbians where one took measures to look mannish. You’ve got the femme, and you’ve got the mannish one—both coming across as man and wife and father and mother.
They messed with nature, and they’ve dragged in an innocent child into their sub-culture and twisted view of a family.
Wrote the following comment on Nov 14, 2008 at 9:57 am
GENDER>BENDER THAT’S ALL IT IS!! ONLY A WOMAN CAN GIVE BIRTH. Thomas’s gender APPEARS to be male but in essence he is a she and capable of reproduction.
She is going to play the role of husband/father.
I hope the child or children are healthy. Who knows she may want to become a woman again in a few years. She has every right. She did give birth and had that experience and that changes you hormonally. It is a wacky world. God has given us our own free will!!