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Pregnant man a hoax: neighbour |
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Friday, 28 March 2008 |
 A female to male transgender's claim to be pregnant is a hoax, according to the man's neighbour.
Thomas Beatie from Oregon in the US has made headlines worldwide after claiming in The Advocate that he is pregnant.
However, neighbour Ron Schlieper has another take on the situation.
"Quite frankly, I think it's a hoax," Schlieper told Oregon’s KATU News.
"I saw him a few days ago and he didn't look like that," Schlieper said, referring to a photograph of Beatie with a distended stomach.
"He was walking down the street with who I thought was his wife, Nancy, and I don't recall seeing a belly. If that was a month ago, he would have been much bigger just a few days ago."
However, The Advocate stands by the story. Associate editor Neal Broverman said that in addition to talking to Beatie and seeing the picture, the magazine had spoken to his gynaecologist to confirm he was pregnant.
Born a woman, Beatie has undergone chest reconstruction and testosterone therapy as part of his transition.
However, like many female to male transgenders, he has eschewed genital reconstruction.
As his wife, Nancy, is unable to conceive due to a hysterectomy, Beatie ceased his bimonthly testosterone injections and began artificial insemination in order to conceive.
"It had been roughly eight years since I had my last menstrual cycle, so this wasn’t a decision that I took lightly," Beatie told The Advocate.
"My body regulated itself after about four months, and I didn’t have to take any exogenous estrogen, progesterone, or fertility drugs to aid my pregnancy."
Beatie's first pregnancy ended in tragedy after it was discovered the triplets he was carrying had failed to reach the uterus.
"It was a life-threatening event that required surgical intervention, resulting in the loss of all embryos and my right fallopian tube," Beatie said.
"When my brother found out about my loss, he said, 'It’s a good thing that happened. Who knows what kind of monster it would have been.'”
Beatie says the couple has faced similar hostility from the medical community.
He said the first doctor they approached told him to shave his facial hair.
"Doctors have discriminated against us, turning us away due to their religious beliefs.
Health care professionals have refused to call me by a male pronoun or recognise Nancy as my wife," Beatie said.
"Receptionists have laughed at us. Friends and family have been unsupportive; most of Nancy’s family doesn’t even know I’m transgender."
Despite these challenges, Beatie says it feels "incredible" to be a pregnant man.
"Wanting to have a biological child is neither a male nor female desire, but a human desire.
"Despite the fact that my belly is growing with a new life inside me, I am stable and confident being the man that I am.
"In a technical sense I see myself as my own surrogate, though my gender identity as male is constant. To Nancy, I am her husband carrying our child.
"I will be my daughter’s father, and Nancy will be her mother. We will be a family.”
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