Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Why Old People Don't Like Change

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I was watching The View this morning, as usual, and the ladies started talking about Thomas Beatie, the transgendered Oregon man who is preggers. I can't tell you how many times I have wished that men could get pregnant and experience the joy of childbirth! But, wait! This is not really a man. (By the way, the man in the above picture is not Mr/s Beatie)

Beatie underwent sexual reorientation ten years ago, but kept the female reproductive organs just in case. She took so much testosterone that she grew a beard and an eensy-beensy penis. She wanted to be able to have sex like a man so she could keep her wife happy. (Aaaaaarrrrrggghhhh! Make the image go away! Sorry. I'm ok, now.) I guess I should start calling her "he", but now, she has stopped the testosterone and is five months pregnant. She decided to do this, in part, because her "wife" had a hysterectomy a few years ago and can't have children, as I understand it. (And, you can believe me when I say I DON'T understand any of it.)

Fast foward a few years, and imagine the conversation between the happy parents and their daughter. "Daddy, tell me again where I came from?" Imagine their social life. There he'll sit, masculinity restored, dishing with the women at parties about childbirth, while his wife taps her fingers on the armrest of her chair and sucks down another martini.

Now, far be it from me to criticize anyone's lifestyle. I really mean that. But this situation is fraught with land mines. There is a very real worry that their health insurance carrier won't pay the medical bills. And, will he receive maternity leave at his job, assuming he has a job? Why do people bring these problems on themselves. anyway? I used to wish I were a man, but only in the context of my earning capacity. Was I just being short-sighted?

Whatever. But, I'll wager she will soon be pret-ty sorry she had those nipples surgically removed.

16 comments:

katy said...

I still can't get me head around this!

Anonymous said...

Thing is (and with all due respect to the transgender community) that pregnant dude is still a woman. He hasn't had the surgery yet (aside from eliminating the boobs) and she's still got a functioning uterus. Plus, she's/he's not taking hormones anymore. I'm not sure what the big deal is. I don't see this as our power as the life givers being threatened. This is still a woman giving birth...not a man. Guys will only give birth if they start out as women. Nothing will change that. The ball's still in our corner. No pun intended.

Kell said...

I'm very, very confused. But don't try to clear it up for me--I don't want to know.

But I'm with apathy lounge. She's obviously still a she.

Betty said...

katy: Maybe it's a generational thing.

apathy lounge: Of course, she's still a woman. It's just a world gone mad, that's all.

kell: Neither do I.

Peggy said...

There is nowt as queer as folk!

For me, this gets filed under "it takes all kinds". Good luck to 'em!

Anonymous said...

I've been reading and hearing about a so-called pregnant man. I want to thank you for clearing it up. I know I only received a "C" in 9th Grade Biology and a few decades have passed since that time, yet I was pretty sure the female internal bits were a prerequisite to baby making and birthing in Humans.

Seems to me this person is at present a kinda surgical Hermaphrodite, since most parts of both sexes are present.

Sorry, that's an even worse picture in my head now.

Rich

Betty said...

peggy: You can say that again.

rich: Gee, thanks for that visual.

Anonymous said...

"So she could keep her wife happy". What with an 'eensy-beensy'one ? ;-)

Betty said...

john: Exactly. See? She's already thinking like a man!

Newt said...

Ok, so let me get this straight.......on second thought, I'll leave it alone as well.

Betty said...

newt: chicken!

kenju said...

Thinking like a man - LOL - Betty, that is priceless!!!

DirkStar said...

I get a call from Felicia and she's all excited about the pregnant man. I tune in to Oprah land it is a woman who's had surgery to look like a man.

Hogwash...

Oprah must have been pretty hard up during sweeps to steal a guest from the Jerry Springer show.

Again, with everything going on in the world right now that's the best Oprah has to bring us?

Betty said...

kenju: We try.

dirkstar: What has happened to all of Oprah's "kingmaking" plans with Obama? She came out of her hidey-hole, like Punxatawney Phil and scampered back in again. Maybe she's just getting ready for the big finish.

Jenn @ Juggling Life said...

I'm pretty liberal, but the whole thing has a pretty high "ick" factor.

I think Apathy Lounge covered the whole thing pretty well.

Betty said...

Hi, Jenn. I think she did, too.