Friday, November 14, 2008

Who's your Daddy?

Thomas Beatie made international headline news last year as he became known as 'The Pregnant Man' Well he gave birth to a girl, Susan back in June.


Now he's pregnant again...


Tonight ,on 20/20 Barbara Walters is interviewing the expectant couple about, life, love, pregnancy and just how do they have sex? (You know you want to know! I know I do.)

This just raises so many questions... What makes a man a man? and to that end, a woman a woman? How can you only go part way through a sex change (ie: hormone treatments, breast removal, but leave the reproductive organs, and lets face it, not have a penis -construction, add on, strap on, whatever - and be legally defined as a Man? What gets listed on the birth certificate as far as mother and father?

But most importantly... does it really matter?


I have to say it's a rather complex and confusing story / concept, and even though it's Baba Wawa I will watch the show tonight because I am intrigued!

10 comments:

Maria said...

Oh Jesus, I don't even know where to begin and what question to ask and not even sure if I (really) want to know the answer.

Bob said...

I have no problem with transsexuality, but make up your flippin' mind: Man or woman, not something in between.
I soooo want to bitch slap that guy and his wife.

Anonymous said...

Well, it doesn't matter to me. I don't understand the doctors who are caring for these people, though. I thought one had to undergo a lot of psychological counselling before gender reassignment. I'm looking forward to your follow-up post where you'll explain everything.

Salty Miss Jill said...

No, it doesn't matter. Love is love. :)

Ma Horton said...

..and what would John Wayne say ?

Leonard said...

Ya know, I'm not to keen on this topic, on one hand, be who you wanna be and I am sooo not religious but really does God make mistakes? They call gay people mistakes but I really don't believe that but would He have made you a woman if he really wanted you to be a man? Then again the atheists can challenge that. I dunno Kitty, er Mister Kitty...good post though, makes you think.
I just wish it wasn't GLBT...don't think we need the T there, I have no desire to be a T nor think it's pat of the GLB part of our society.
;) peace

Sean Newbury said...

Yea Leonard this one is a mess I agree. Personally I DO agree that it's not an LGB concern. She was not a Lesbian and is not a Gay man now. While I would not welcome T's in the LGB world, this is really not a connected issue.

And like you say more power to him that he's found his bliss, but I have to also say if you're having a sex change you REALLY gotta commit to this. It reminds me of the porn star that was a female to male trans but kept her suzy. I still haven't figured out the popularity of this person as a GAY 'MALE' porn star... but I digress (and slightly feel ill all of the sudden)

The show last week, for me at least only raised more issues than it answered. I honestly do not think this was done for fame or fortune, but you have to wonder, really wonder. Yes ultimately they have a beautiful baby girl and soon another baby will be born, but like Dr Phil would say (and I CANNOT believe I'm even going there)... what do they get out of this? There is some pay off to them that I just do not get. And again YES I understand they have the children, but there's more to it, for certain.

Bandobras said...

I've long wondered about the need for anyone to tell others about their sex/breeding episodes. Male, female, straight, gay, whatever. What does any of this have to do with anyone except your partner and you. It all smacks of junior high boys bragging about who they've done and junior high girls denying any such sessions.

Sean Newbury said...

Welcome aboard Bandobras...

You know the more I think about this story the more I can’t quite let it go, or for that matter grasp it entirely…

I agree in theory with your statement that one's sexual activities should be between those people directly involved in the act, but here's where that theory fails...

When you entire existence is labeled on your sexual preference or lifestyle (etc) by the majority of the population. When you are shunned, abused: mentally, physically, emotionally by the majority of the population because of that preference or lifestyle (etc). When you are attacked and killed because of your sexual preference or lifestyle (etc). When all that you are is boiled down to an act that comprises a mere 0.758% of your life (based on the current global average lifespan of 66.12 years, and 6 months total average accumulated tie spent in sexual acts), ignoring the other 99.242 % of you life which pretty much mirrors the remaining 90% of the population, you can’t NOT have it be open to discussion. It therefore becomes everybody’s business. Because until we can honestly and truly NOT be labeled, shunned, abused, attacked and murdered for that 0.758 % of our existence while different, is still really the same anyway… seeking out intimate human contact… then it’s an issue.

In the case of the ‘Pregnant Man’ however this isn’t even the case. It’s not that they have a unique partnership outside of the commonly ‘accepted’ options of straight or gay/lesbian. It’s not even that they’ve conceived 2 babies, no matter how; be it biological/sexual, or artificial. It’s what defines a man as a man, a woman as a woman. Is it biological? Is it Mental? Is it by definition their role in society? Or is it a combination of two or all three of these?

I can tell you I don’t really know myself anymore other than if you ask me, I will tell you I am a man. THAT is what I know.

Southern Louisiana Horticulturist said...

it is such a farce and a joke on humanity. As a gay man this is so wrong on so many levels. Get a real reporter to do the next intyerview. It is just a botched up female masquerading as her inner self and the reporters play into this crap.
It is a masculine female masquerading.

I feel sorry for the kid growing up.
It gives the whole-Who's your Daddy-syndrome a new facet of terror.
Bitch pleaseeeee!