The Pregnant Man Grows Ever Larger in Buzz

[AllardChardon]

The Pregnant Man Grows Ever Larger in Buzz
by Molly McCall

On Thursday, Oprah introduced Oregon resident Thomas Beatie to anyone who hadn't yet heard of him. Beatie, a transgender man who is legally male, is six months pregnant with his and his wife's child. La Winfrey called the expectant situation "a new definition of what diversity means for everybody."

And everybody, it seems, is interested. Over the past seven days, searches for "pregnant man" rose 26,879%. Demand for "thomas beatie" grew more than 3,000%. Interest in "oregon man pregnant" has swelled 461%.

As for the skeptics who typed "man claims he is pregnant" and "pregnant man?" into Search, we can answer: Mr. Beatie retained his female reproductive organs. Because he has a uterus, he can get pregnant and carry a baby to term.

In Buzz, some of the most popular articles from the past week focused on the bun in Beatie's oven. As we posted earlier, Boing Boing and Huffington Post were two of the first sources to surface with articles on the story. Since then, the Huffington Post scored another hit with an item revealing more photos of the fertile daddy.

LilSugar, Yahoo! News, and People.com have also polled well with Buzz readers. The People.com article, which offers an exclusive video clip from today's Oprah appearance, is fast on its way to being the most voted-on article in Buzz today.

So has this childbearing event really redefined what diversity means for everybody? The tale certainly seems to have people thinking about gender issues. We've noted a surge in queries for "transgendered" and "transgender pregnancy." Lookups for "pregnant man" have flowed in from every state in the U.S. and every age group.

With the fruitful papa about to enter his third trimester, we may have three more months of this baby buzz. Enjoy it!



Well, this blows my mind! As my grandmother used to say, "What is this world coming to?"

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

Personally I find this entire thing to be an offensive publicity stunt. He should be kicked in the... shit. Never mind.

 

[FunwithRyleigh]

Well, as someone who tried for years to have children and was unable, I find something very sweet and romantic about it. His wife tried to have children, but was unable to. He had a perfectly good womb ready to be used. Now, they are going to fulfill their dreams of becoming parents.

I don't know that is the lifestyle I would choose, but I don't think it is my place to say. However, the fact that there can be a 'happily ever after' - 'and baby makes three' moment for them is very special to me.

I have mourned the loss of that fairy tale ending for my life, so I'm happy that they can have it.

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

Okay, look people. This guy was a girl. Then he had a sex change operation and go married to a girl. She "can't concive" meaning he's most likely shooting blanks. What does he do? He goes to a doctor and is artificially inseminated.

Here's the problem. HE/SHE HAS A Dick! How was he inseminated? The plumbing is all wrong. Next, what happens when the kid wants to be born? Either the dick is a monster (not bloody likely) or he has a C-Section.

This is way too strange to be anything but a stunt.

 

[Equinoxe]

Okay, look people. This guy was a girl. Then he had a sex change operation and go married to a girl. She "can't concive" meaning he's most likely shooting blanks. What does he do? He goes to a doctor and is artificially inseminated.

Here's the problem. HE/SHE HAS A Dick! How was he inseminated? The plumbing is all wrong. Next, what happens when the kid wants to be born? Either the dick is a monster (not bloody likely) or he has a C-Section.

This is way too strange to be anything but a stunt.

As I understand it, he hasn't undergone that surgery and so doesn't have a penis, actually.

 

[Jenny_Jackson]

As I understand it, he hasn't undergone that surgery and so doesn't have a penis, actually.

That's unclear. It depends on what your read. The Sun first reported this as he had positively had a dick. CNN reported he had a dick but his internal plumbing was still functioning.

I don't care. It's still a stunt.

 

[neonlyte]

Here's the problem. HE/SHE HAS A Dick! How was he inseminated?

This is way too strange to be anything but a stunt.

Doner, plastic cup. 'His' wife did the insemination.

I think I'll go with 'stunt' - I remember their being a cash prize for the first 'man' to go full term.


I wonder if the doner was told he was denoting sperm for a 'bloke'?

 

[Equinoxe]

That's unclear. It depends on what your read. The Sun first reported this as he had positively had a dick. CNN reported he had a dick but his internal plumbing was still functioning.

I don't care. It's still a stunt.

Well, if The Sun said it...

I don't think it's a stunt, per se, but I do find the publicity about it ridiculous and think that it would be best for everyone involved if they would just quietly have and raise their child.

 

[FunwithRyleigh]

Well, if The Sun said it...

I don't think it's a stunt, per se, but I do find the publicity about it ridiculous and think that it would be best for everyone involved if they would just quietly have and raise their child.

I have to agree there. In a world where people that are different are often attacked, seems they are setting themselves up for a lot of heartache down the way. Talk about painting a huge target on all three of them now.

 

[OhMissScarlett]

That's unclear. It depends on what your read. The Sun first reported this as he had positively had a dick. CNN reported he had a dick but his internal plumbing was still functioning.

I don't care. It's still a stunt.

It's not unclear, he explained it on Oprah.

He has an enlarged clitoris from the testosterone shots. That's a dick, but not technically a biologically functioning male penis. The T can't make you grow testes and produce semen.

And who fucking cares, it's the 21st century? They didn't seem like the kind of people who would do it as a stunt. They simply stated that they wanted to tell their own story, rather than have it leaked by the press or the hospital. Actually, I found it kind of endearing.

 

[jomar]

Okay, look people. This guy was a girl. Then he had a sex change operation and go married to a girl. She "can't concive" meaning he's most likely shooting blanks. What does he do? He goes to a doctor and is artificially inseminated.

Here's the problem. HE/SHE HAS A Dick! How was he inseminated? The plumbing is all wrong. Next, what happens when the kid wants to be born? Either the dick is a monster (not bloody likely) or he has a C-Section.

This is way too strange to be anything but a stunt.

In an interview I saw on TV he said he had chosen to not have the plumbing changed. So it's a legitimate artificial insemination. No stunt, no magic.

It's just a sensational headline on a slow news day. Good for them, though.

 

[3113]

I recall a documentary on transgendered folk which focused on one gent (formerly a "she") who was told by the doctors that there was no point in getting a full hysterectomy. Alas, said gent developed ovarian cancer and died from it. It was very sad as he was, indeed, a gentleman through and through. Ironic as well as he'd wanted a complete hysterectomy and, if not for the doctors, would have gone for it.

My point being, I don't see this as a pregnant "man" per se. It's a misnomer. This is a transgendered person having a baby--notice how boring that sounds by comparison That this person is mentally and emotionally male doesn't change the fact that he is not creating a way for males the world over to have babies if they like because he is biologically still female. Not saying that it's not newsworthy (might be just for the positive publicity of it), but "Pregnant Man" to me means a true scientific break through that makes it possible for any other guy on earth to have a baby.

The one question I have...will all those hormones he's been taking to be more male affect the baby? I presume he's stopped taking them, but has he been off them long enough? Higher testosterone levels in the mother have troubling side effects on fetuses.

 

[Trinique_Fire]

Hey, cool story!

Fuck the controversy. I was fascinated and endeared.