He's having a
baby, and the media is begging for input from the LGBT
community. Will we miss this opportunity?
Thomas Beatie and
his wife, Nancy, have made national headlines for
something very ordinary: starting a family. Thomas is a
transgender man who has chosen to carry the
couple’s child because Nancy isn't able to.
From where I sit -- safely inside an urban bubble and well
ensconced in the transgender movement both personally
and professionally -- what Thomas is doing isn't
shocking in the least. He is far from the first
transman to carry a child, and he certainly won't be the
last. What is different about Thomas and Nancy is that
they were proactive in garnering media coverage -- and
in a big way. With joint exclusive interviews with
both the Oprah Show and People magazine, the
Beaties have reached a national audience with their
story of family -- the story of queer family.
Now I'm not the
kid-loving or -bearing kind. I've just never had the
instinct or the drive to bring, adopt, conceive, foster, or
otherwise beget any kin of any kind. But I've got to
give kudos to the Beaties. It’s a brave thing
to commit to loving and supporting another human being
for the rest of their lives -- no matter what.
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Simon Aronoff is a vice president at Renna
Communications, a public interest communications firm
specializing in LGBT issues and advocacy.