Has anyone caught the news coverage of this pregnant man story?  I seriously don't get this shit.

Okay, so I get that this Thomas Beatty person is a woman who is living like a man, because that is her bag or whatever...but seriously, she got pregnant...how exactly is that living like a man?  I mean, it makes me want to track her down and say "Hey, hey you, YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG.  Guys don't get pregnant."

Shit like this makes me seriously hate modern feminists and political correctness.  I mean, I've got no hate for transgendered people.  It's no sweat off my brow.  I don't think they should be discriminated against or anything.

But at the same time, a transgendered man (meaning a man who was born a woman) who gets pregnant is like...man, s/he ain't making it easy to buy that s/he is a man, is s/he?  And people act like it's amazing that a man is pregnant...except, the only amazing part is that people actually think that the average person is going to buy that this Tom dude is really a dude.  I mean, there's nothing amazing about this when you realize that Tom isn't actually a man, she's a woman who cut her tits off and doped herself up with hormones.  Tom there is kind of proof that sticking feathers up your ass and clucking doesn't make you a rooster.

But like, somehow if you point that out, you're like a hater, or intolerant, or what the fuck ever.  It's a real head-scratcher.  And listening to the media coverage, everyone is just sort of skirting around the huge elephant in the room, trying to not mention the rather obvious fact: a pregnant man is an impossible thing, and Tom ain't a pregnant man, Tom is a pregnant chick with some very odd issues.

Not worried about it.


...and no thats not "threadcrapping".

Its sad in some ways, a tad weird - but not really part of my Soap Opera (as my college friends used to say)


- Ed C.

Chill out, man.

Quote from: KoltarNot worried about it.


...and no thats not "threadcrapping".

Its sad in some ways, a tad weird - but not really part of my Soap Opera (as my college friends used to say)

I'm not worried about it either, I just find it really weird.

And I think it's a bit disturbing that feminism has reached the point where you can't even acknowledge an obvious reality without being [blank]phobic.

Seriously, I kept hearing about tis story on the radio over the last few days, and finally googled the story just to see what this dude looked like, and the first page I found had comments.  Several of the comments were essentially "WTF?  Not a man, no, sorry." followed by a gaggle of feminists telling all the headscratchers they were no different than the dudes who beat Brandon Teena to death, and hoping that they never have kids.

And the media seems to have bought into that stunning lack of logic.  I'm all for tolerance, but tolerance doesn't mean ignoring reality to make some fringe element feel better about their decision to really push the envelope.

Quote from: JackalopeShit like this makes me seriously hate modern feminists and political correctness.

Enough to throw a bucket of dog shit on them?

!i!

Quote from: JackalopeI mean, I've got no hate for transgendered people. It's no sweat off my brow. I don't think they should be discriminated against or anything. . .

I mean, there's nothing amazing about this when you realize that Tom isn't actually a man, she's a woman who cut her tits off and doped herself up with hormones. Tom there is kind of proof that sticking feathers up your ass and clucking doesn't make you a rooster. . .

But like, somehow if you point that out, you're like a hater, or intolerant, or what the fuck ever.

Your own actions pretty much spell that out for everyone

Quote from: NiallSYour own actions pretty much spell that out for everyone

Why, because he used the word "tits"?

Quote from: AosWhy, because he used the word "tits"?

No, it was his choiuce of all the words, imagery and the phrasing together with his "I'm no bigot but . . ." disclaimer. Plus his use of the word hate I suppose.

EDIT: To respond to his question I'm with Koltar. Gender has always been to some degree socially constructed - ideas of masculine and feminie traits, spheres of work, dress etc and with the increasing ability of science and medicine then what were the physical boundaries are going to be blurred as well. If everyone treated Thomas Beatty as a man then to all purposes he would be. That he started as a woman seems beside the point. Arguments that a pregnant man is an impossible thing rely on the argument that it is not natureal which is fairly pointless whn done over the 'unnatural' internet

"Just because I 'hate' some people doesn't mean I'm a 'hater'."

!i!

The best thing that could happen is if and when the child is born - he or she get as much love and care as other kids get.

Just because the circumstances of the birth are unusual, that doesn't mean the kid doesn't have to have a bad life.
I hope the Press (media) is told backthe hell off after the birth.
 Let the family be a family as much as they can.

 It really doesn't affect the life of my friends or myself tho...everything considered  - I wish those folks the best of luck.

- Ed C.

Quote from: JackalopeSeriously, I kept hearing about this story on the radio over the last few days, and finally googled the story just to see what this dude looked like, and the first page I found had comments.  Several of the comments were essentially "WTF?  Not a man, no, sorry." followed by a gaggle of feminists telling all the headscratchers they were no different than the dudes who beat Brandon Teena to death, and hoping that they never have kids.

And the media seems to have bought into that stunning lack of logic.  I'm all for tolerance, but tolerance doesn't mean ignoring reality to make some fringe element feel better about their decision to really push the envelope.

Thesis:

Jackalope is a self-hating gamer-chick.*

*I know, he's not. I'm trying to be gnomic 'n' cool 'n' shit.

I don't particularly Agree with Mr. Beatty's plan of action here but that's between him and his wife.

That should be the end of the discussion, the utter end of the line, but here we all are, gossipping away.

I say this because I realize that while I have an opinion on the entire topic (as most anyone would upon hearing of it) it is difficult to clearly articulate it, and honestly? Not worth the effort.

In fact, I think that not caring to articulate all my feelings and opinions on the matter is actually a strength here. I means that I have better things to do with my life than praise or condemn in detail the actions of others.


But since we are here, and simply taunting all of you with my obvious moral superiority, I suppose I must weigh in with some depth, despite my increasing desire not to bother. What can I say, its a slow moment at the office.

Mr Beatty's choice of gender is of little importance to anyone not attempting to become sexually involved with Mr. Beatty.   I don't quite agree with the idea that gender is purely a social construct, but I do agree that individuals have the right to construct their life in the manner of their chosing.

I think that transgendered individuals turn to drugs and surgery to make mockeries of their bodies, but again: its their body to do with as they please. I feel sorry for them that they feel that becoming a freak is superior to what they already have.  There are a lot of things I would change about myself, including my body, were it my call to make. I don't consider radical, and frankly half assed, solutions, however.  Then again: I also don't consider tattooing my face into a halloween mask is up my alley either, yet people do that too.  There are lots of things I don't want to do that others actively seek out. Partipating in reality TV, for example.

I DO think that Mr. Beatty is straddling a line, fence sitting if you will, in that He is chosing to be the Mom in this case. I'm sure that lots of transgender/mixed couples have children, obviously not the Man, normally.  But I don't think there is anything inherently wrong about it.  Like I detail above, lots of people do things I wouldn't do, that doesn't mean they shouldn't.  


There is no 'moral' decision making here.  No 'harm' being done.  Cries of 'what about the child?' forget that unless Mr. Beatty made the choice he did, there is no child to be 'harmed'. Is a less than ideal, by our standards, home life worse than 'non-existance'?  I'm not comfortable making that call.  Is the child's life going to be improved by Mr. Beatty's wife the mom? Not that I could say. A little less celebrity, perhaps.

Which leaves me more or less exactly where I started: None of my business from start to finish. Not my body, not my home, not my child, not my call.  All I got from this post was a fair bit of squeamish 'I don't really want to talk about where transgendereds fit in my headspace' and 15 minutes of time I can't get back.

Enjoy.

Quote from: KoltarThe best thing that could happen is if and when the child is born - he or she get as much love and care as other kids get.

Just because the circumstances of the birth are unusual, that doesn't mean the kid doesn't have to have a bad life.
I hope the Press (media) is told backthe hell off after the birth.
 Let the family be a family as much as they can.

 It really doesn't affect the life of my friends or myself tho...everything considered  - I wish those folks the best of luck.

- Ed C.

I''m gonna side with El Cabeza De Horseshoe Crab, here.

The main issue is, I think, the fact that there is gender (the social and cultural look and behavior attributed to a particular group of people) and sex (the biological plumbing of a person).  There are trans-gendered people who do not get their plumbing reworked or do not get it fully reworked and I think that strikes a lot of people as not being a real member of the other sex.  And when it comes to having a baby, the social gender of the person doesn't really matter.  Their biological sex does.  And in this particular case, the biological sex is female so there is really nothing all that unusual going on here biologically.

Quote from: John MorrowAnd in this particular case, the biological sex is female so there is really nothing all that unusual going on here biologically.

Except for the hormone treatments, which can potentially really fuck both mother and child over.  That's a distinct worry for both.

!i!