I’m trying to reserve judgement on this, but I can’t help but be profoundly disturbed by the story of Thomas Beatie.
Beatie, a 34-year old husband and soon-to-be parent, wasn’t always the man he is today. He was born a woman. After spending most of his life as Tracy, Beatie decided to begin testosterone therapy and to undergo surgical breast removal so that s/he could assume the role of a man.
You’d think that’d be shocking enough. But wait, there’s more.
Soon after legally becoming a man, Beatie married his current wife, Nancy. Due to a previous hysterectomy, Nancy is unable to have children. But the couple wanted to fulfill their dream of having a family together. So together, they decided that Thomas would discontinue his testosterone treatments and conceive a child via artificial insemination.
Uh-huh. You read it right. Beatie, who is legally a man, but still possesses the physical equipment of a woman, will soon become the mother of his own child!
Beatie is scheduled to appear on today’s Oprah Show, where he and his wife will share the details of their story, including the doctors who refused to treat Thomas during the pregnancy and their first failed attempt at having Thomas bear the couple’s child.
What disturbs me about the whole thing is…well, there are several things that disturb me:
1. Not that I’m an Oprah Show watcher, but since when did Oprah start covering stories that would be much more appropriate for Jerry Springer?
2. I’m all for medical and scientific advancements, but this story is just another one of many that makes me question: just because we are technically capable of doing something, does that mean we should?
Here you have a gal who decides that she no longer wants to be a gal. So, gal says to herself, “I’ll just go down to the local doctor’s office and sign up for lifelong injections of male hormones. And while you’re at it doc, go ahead and slice off those ‘mams’ – they’re kinda gettin’ in the way, and they don’t really fit with my new image.” Some time later gal/guy thinks to her/himself: “Oh, wait! I knew there was something I forgot to do before shedding my female self. Lemme put this man thing on pause for a bit and return to my regularly scheduled gender. I’ll just order me up some of that anonymous donor sperm, and during the commercial break for Star Trek, I’ll impregnate myself with it and set the timer for, oh…9 months or so. After that, it’s back to the boys club for me!”
Yeah, that’s just a little too ‘Island of Dr. Moreau’ for me.
3. What is this child going to grow up like? I mean, we all have our issues with Mom and Dad, but can you imagine being this kid and having to process the concept that daddy is really mommy and mommy technically isn’t related to me at all?
4. And the most important question of all: Exactly what bathroom is Mr. Mom using these days?
What a world.
Read Thomas Beatie’s first-person interview in the Advocate (a LGBT webzine)
See the Oprah Show trailer
cheers,
Wow, where to begin, well believe it or not we are all both male and female.
As our gender is decided our genitalia essentially deploys or retracts according to our cosmic crapshoot.
Go figure! thats why the penis fits into the vagina! So what is gender other than a fixed identity, but when you die, do you remain a gender? How about before birth, so broadening our horizons, lets remember that we are essentially accounting for how bad will this kid be fucked with by society, but the child is not the problem, society is, the society which assumes it knows anything at all about life and what is “right” the society which penalizes those who do not conform in an effort to avoid being uncomfortable with other truths.
More power to you david, if Arnold Schwarzennerger can do it so can you!
-NOW
http://www.weareallone.tv
WOW! I’m speechless….for those of you know me that rarely happens. I think Thomas should decide, whether he wants to be Thomas or Tracey. I don’t think a “man” should be walking around pregnant. WOW! It amazes me the things people do.
I heard about this story last week and I was a little skeptical. When I heard that Thomas was going to be on Oprah I had to watch to see what the deal was. One thing that Thomas said was interesting, he said he knew he wanted to have kids and feels that the desire to have a baby is not male or female trait it is a human trait. The fact that his wife was unable to have kids and they wanted to have a baby leaves them with not many options. I am sure that many of you may say “why dont they adopt?” which is a good suggestion but there are some people that want to have their own child and I dont think that is a particulary bad thing to want.
Even though this situation is not the norm I dont think it should be looked at as disgusting, vile, or a freak of nature. I feel that the disapproval that some people may have is the same response that people had when the first test tube babies were created or when in-vitro fertilization was introduced.
Questioning how the baby will be raised is always a concern but we have to hope that the baby will grow up in a normal healthy household where the family loves and adores it and teaches the child to grow up to be a good person. Who birthed the child shouldnt matter as long as it is loved.
With all the recent stories of these so called “normal” families where the mother or father are killing their kids for random reasons… Those are the issues that should be under the microscope and questioned not this.
…just call me speechless – I just saw this same story on Good Morning America – I think you’ve asked all of the right questions on this one!!??!! Things that make you go hmmmm…
This is not difficult for me because I made an easy decision years ago.
One day I decided I would love Jesus, no matter what. And based on that decision, silly lucified ridiculous haps like this don’t scare me. The bible says that this flesh is nothing. Its our spirit that has to fight the good fight. I will continue to pray for this “guygal” the same as I pray for the common crack head. I’m not a bible thumping closed eyed kind of guy either. I understand that people are being born with both penises and vaginas and you name it. Somewhere somehow something went wrong….maybe all of these pregnancies just so happen to take place near high voltage power lines…its not mine to judge. But I do know that the bible says we will become so smart, that we will turn to and on our ownselves. Basically collide and self destruct. It’s all about choices. God gives us the right to choose him, one choice is right and the other is wrong. With this in mind, we certainly have the choice to do what is right when it comes to this situation. It is selfish and down right arrogant to do this. It will be his flame that he has to put out…..unfortunately there will be an endless supply of fire. No choices there. Piece
She got dick hair on her face 😀
this is one disturbing image! and the story that goes with it aint too settling either!
well, I could go into some kind of analysis, but that’ll be completely insufficient. All I can say is God bless the kid and her/his parents (seriously).
btw, ksolo congrats on your paid published piece (dial-up connection (yes, still!) provides little motivation for me to reply to anything)!
ok first of all, G.A… you spelled peace wrong and overall you are generally an idiot.
you found jesus?
did he tell you it was ok to be a Self-righteous bigot who thinks it is ok to damn people to hell through your own judgment publicly for people to see? If he did, than Jesus kind of sucks.
I am pretty sure that somewhere in the bible it says that judging is bad in one form or another, you know, a
When God created man, he saw that it was not good for man to be alone. God SPECIFICALLY made woman for man. God designed man to be man and woman to be woman. God created man and woman and commanded them to reproduce. God did not created man and man or woman and woman. He created people of opposite sex. I strongly believe that it is immoral what people are doing these days. I mean where in God’s plan does it say man can change their sex to become like women and vice versa. People the God that created the you and me is not just any kind of god. Look at the sun!! Those of you who have never been to hot countries ask those who have. This is nothing compared to what God has prepared for those who do not receive his Son and live a life pleasing to him. People change your minds because God is real. We have everything at our disposal but not everything is pleasing to God.
Ah, being a Dad. The most fun, rewarding, exitaccuring, frustrating, exasperating, hilarious, touching, terrifying thing I have ever done, and would not trade a single moment (even though I was a more traditional dad, not like the gentleman above with the uterus.)