Jamie Reidy comments on the status of “Pregnant Man” Thomas Beattie.
Some states seem to attract strange legal happenings. Think Florida. Arizona is one of these states, as well.
Born a woman and now a man, Mr. Beatie is seeking a divorce from his first wife so he can marry his new girlfriend. The new lady friend seems to be putting some pressure on her man.
“…I do have a girlfriend and she’s anxiously awaiting my divorce so that we can get married… so I think possibly that might be polygamy, so that might be a good question for my attorney.”
CNN’s ace reporter Dr. Drew interviewed Thomas Beatie and his lawyer.
“Tell me how you guys found each other and how she feels about your gender identity…”
Unfortunately, Thomas didn’t speak to either of those points. Because inquiring minds like mine want to know!
But the biggest question I have is: did Thomas Beatie try to look like Major League Baseball star Johnny Damon???
(Skip to the 5:30 mark to see the lawyer’s hand gestures regarding the dropping of testicles. Funny stuff. Not that the dropping of testicles is funny; just the hand gestures.)
About Jamie Reidy
Ugh. This is why we need federal marriage protections, not this ridiculous state by state nonsense. What do you do when you marry in one state that recognizes your marriage, and then move someplace more backward and try to get divorced? Being trans is just one way to be struck by courts that think they’re entitled to their bigotry.
Beatie is not the first pregant man, just FYI. I know of at least one trans man who transitioned, then gave birth, and continues to live as a man, who did this before Beatie. It just happens that this guy decided to make his private medical, legal, and social matters, public news.
Totally agree with you, Justin. Laws need to change – the quicker the better. Like yesterday.
Hope this case brings light to the issue.
Beatie is actually the first fully legal transman to give birth, hence the title and legal problems. I know of one other transman before Beatie, but he had female documentation.
The legal part is interesting. Speaking only of the American experience, with our state and federal laws, trans experience is not fully documented. The facts about two pregnant trans men can be the same (both having taken testosterone and had the same gender-confirming surgeries, both “passing” and identifying as men, etc), but the documentation (birth certificates, marriage licenses) will differ based on state of birth, and state of residence. It can even depend on which person waits on you at the DMV the day you bring in your documentation, whether a trans man is walking around with an “M” or an “F” on his license. Documentation of gender change depends on whether there’s a policy to even request such a change, and whether the employee petitioned is aware of it, “reads” you as trans, judges you for it, and so on. It’s problematic, if you ask me, the way medical status (a psychologist, attending ob, or general practice physician’s opinion) becomes legal status (whether I’m considered Male or Female, by law), and how social status (whether the clerk thinks I “deserve” a Male designation on my driver’s license) becomes de facto (I take the license to the post office and get a passport that matches, even if my birth certificate does not). With the addition of Beatie’s story, there is another layer of difference: whether the media has documented one’s experience.
I’m going to say this once: comments challenging the right of any person to self-identify with regard to gender will be deleted by me.
Right on!
I didn’t know this site got many radfems dropping by.
@Ginkgo Right? It’s awesome.
I will delete them too.
I have always heard of this guy being referred to as “the first pregnant man”… Oprah and everyone.
Justin, that is odd that he has that name.
And YES to federal marriage protections!
I am a tree then. Bring me my druids !
This shouldn’t even be an issue. If marriage laws were not archaeic and discriminatory, he could just go ahead and get married.
To all…the word “patiently” shall now take the place of “anxiously” in the comment above regarding our desire to get married. LOL…But come on, hurry up already!!!