In Bend, Oregon there is a man, who is legally recognised as a man, who is having a child. You see, Thomas Beatie, was born as a woman. He had an operation ten years ago which changed his gender but he kept his reproductive organs. Now he’s using them to have a child with his partner, Nancy.
My first reaction was of shock. Stories in the news just keep getting stranger!
I read the comments that were coming from readers of the articles and i began to wonder at the sanity of people. People were really angry that this person was having a child. His obvious difference in life style combined with a pregnancy was enough to bring out all the angry people.
The story is blatantly strange. The child will plainly have some challenges growing up. But at the same time, I can’t help but think that these two people are going to be incredibly attentive and loving parents. So much attention to detail has gone into the process, I find it hard to believe that a child growing up in their home would be anything less than treasured. And how is a treasured child something that is bad? I imagine that a child would feel very safe in that sort of environment. It has a great chance of being a much safer than many other scenarios that children are brought into.
In the end it should be about a child going up in a safe environment. If they are willing to do their part in providing it. We, the public, should do our part by accepting the situation (which we have no right to change) and letting them parent without the fear of physical harm or discrimination.
But that is the difficult part. Will the religiously conservative be able to put aside their judgement and allow the family to function as a family? Will the media stop treating the issue like a freak show? Will the world end in May like the Russian cult claims?
Who know. but i suspect it is our own decisions that will decide the answer
