Thomas is Pregnant

Thomas Beatie, who used to be known as Tracy Beatie, was born a female. However, Thomas decided to undergo a sex-change operation (though not a complete one) and legally identify himself as a male. After his teenage years, Thomas felt the need to openly express what he had felt for a long time: that he was really a man that was, to him, trapped in a woman’s body. A lot of people question the legitimacy of many transgender individuals’ claims that they can genetically and mentally have disparaging identities. Regardless of whether or not the claims are thought to be “true,” though, there is a large population of people who experience this and take action to be able to live as a member of the opposite sex.

What is interesting about Thomas’ transgender story is that, currently, he is pregnant. Due to his original reproductive organs, of which he did not alter, he is able to carry a child, though he still identifies himself as a male in our society. This has recently gained media attention, as the image of Thomas with a masculine body and bearded face, as well as a pregnant body, is an interesting sight to see.

Every person is always entitled to his or her own opinion, and I’m sure that a lot of people believe that Thomas’ baby will be raised with a flawed upbringing, due to this child’s unnatural parental figures. It is unfortunate that Thomas’ child is automatically assumed by many to have some sort of diseased existence. Granted, his daughter’s life will surely not be just like most other children’s, but personally, I feel that any environment where a child will be raised with loving parents is better than far too many awful upbringings, albeit with “traditional” family structures.

Nonetheless, the gender line seems like it is to even further blur a little more. It is so difficult, when living in a society that has been conditioned to only view “male” and “female,” for any deviant category to exist with a normal life. If everyone works to open their mind a bit to a concept that may differ from what they have been conditioned to view as “normal,” we could learn a lot more about some things we choose not to understand…and besides, “normal” is a word built on fantasy.




Here is the first clip (of five) from Thomas’ appearance on Oprah this past week.