18 November 2008

The Pregnant Man

Evidently the whole world knew about this "pregnant man" but me. I watched the Barbara Walters special this weekend about "What Makes a Man, What Makes a Woman" and it was intriguing. With the prospect of a potential hysterectomy, it is important to me to think that my uterus does not define me as a woman.
In a conversation I've been having with some unschoolers online, we have decided that it isn't the organs or externals that make one male or female so much as DNA. You either have male or female chromosomes - however, it appears that these can be overridden by hormones, so that leaves the question - are we really that different as men and women. I think that God made us unique in gender - but not as polar opposite as we may like to think.
I know a lot of people want to make this person, Thomas Beatie - be they male or female out to be a freak show. I don't think that - I am just fascinated. I want to know how what does make us male and female. If I no longer have a uterus, am I less of a woman? I know women who've had mastectomies and do not consider them any less female.
One thing that really stood out to me was that Thomas was happy - a joyful person, content to be so very different than what we consider normal. I know a lot of people trying to pretend to be something they are not who are so miserable, and all I can feel in my heart of hearts is - good for you, good for you Thomas.
That said, I am not without awkwardness or prejudice about the subject. I feel that Thomas has not made a choice - and is in essence refusing to choose one gender or the other, preferring to have the best of both worlds. But as my husband eloquently said, "What's it to you?" (The caveman can be pretty profound sometimes!)
The rest of my thoughts on the subject are still in process.

4 comments:

  1. Hmmm...I am not sure I agree here, but then I am not sure I understand your point. I f God created everything and He is a God of let your Yes be Yes and your No be No, why is it that everything in this world is being changed to maybe this or maybe that or whatever you want make it so. I just don't get it. I am with Sally, "It all comes from your being so WIshy Washy!"

    As for Beatie, I can't speak for his/her happiness. (Wow you can't even refer to him/her simply), but if he/she wants to be happy and simple, he/she sure has a funny way of going about it, drawing as much notoriety to himself/herself as possible from every media level possible. That has kind of sat wrong with me from the beginning.

    In addition a man cannot have a baby. God made it so for a reason. Beatie has all the right parts to have a baby, therefore I think he/she is in essence a girl. (Yes people can be born with both sets of organs, I know...just thinking off the cuff on this one.) If you want to be yourself and go against everything that God has created, by all means do it, but why the need to draw so much attention to yourself in the process?

    A woman may have her uterus removed for medical reasons...that does not make her less of a woman. But the fact that you were norn with one and needed to get it removed does define you as a female on an anatomical level. Can Travis has never had a uterus and he never will. He is a male. Gender confusion is now classified in that sihy washy society we have been indoctrinated into...everybody should have wahtever they want be whatever they want, whenever they want, wherever they want, with no regards of anything higher than himself/herself. That I don't agree with. Does this make any sense. (Being that u know me and my sense of things as a not traditional...well you know...)

    ReplyDelete
  2. What the heck? You're not the last person to find out about this. I've never heard of it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. My husband and I saw a bit on tv about Thomas, but thought it a bit scarily disgusting so we turned it off.

    We discussed how Thomas would deliver the baby naturally? Because according to the Discover Health Documentary, he was going to deliver naturally! My husband doesn't want to talk about.

    How did Thomas deliver?

    ReplyDelete
  4. I saw this a while back too. Even though it made interesting TV...for me it was a bit sad. I don't think Thomas is a terrible person but I do think he is living very independently from the life God designed for man and woman. To me Thomas is clearly a woman (and not something to be awed over like the media wants) who is trying so hard to make his life choice more than just being gay. But I do realize I am only one opinion :)

    ReplyDelete

Awaiting your words......
♥ Juls ♥