Thomas Beatie seemed like your average man living your average life. In 2008, Thomas wrote an article for The Advocate, detailing his life as a pregnant transgender man.
It wasn't that long ago, but the world was still shocked by Thomas' pregnancy. He was referred to by many as the "the world's first pregnant man." Today, we understand a lot more about transgender pregnancies. At the time, however, Thomas became the first to publicly share the experience. Aside from his article, he went on to be the subject of interviews with Barbara Walters and Oprah Winfrey.
More from LittleThings: Thomas Beatie, The First Publicly Pregnant Transgender Man, Reflects On 2008 Media Frenzy
It's been over 10 years since, and Thomas' life looks very different now than it did then. He looks back at that experience in an interview with Today.
Thomas Beatie shocked the world with his decision to become pregnant as a transgender man. At the time, the concept of being transgender was still fairly new. He was the first to come out and explain what pregnancy looked like, and people were fascinated.
"To our neighbors, my wife, Nancy, and I don’t appear in the least unusual. To those in the quiet Oregon community where we live, we are viewed just as we are — a happy couple
deeply in love. Our desire to work hard, buy our first home, and start a family was nothing out of the ordinary. That is, until we decided that I would carry our child," Thomas wrote in an article for The Advocate.
"I am transgender, legally male, and legally married to Nancy. Unlike those in same-sex marriages, domestic partnerships, or civil unions, Nancy and I are afforded the more than 1,100 federal rights of marriage," he noted of the time.
"Sterilization is not a requirement for sex reassignment, so I decided to have chest reconstruction and testosterone therapy but kept my reproductive rights. Wanting to have a biological child is neither a male nor female desire, but a human desire."
It's been 13 years since Thomas' pregnancy. No longer is the concept of transgender pregnancy entirely uncommon, though we've still got a long way to go societally. He looked back on his experience in an interview with Today.
"When my story came out, there wasn't a single person in the public eye as a transgender man — most people had never heard of it," he said.
"This was pre-Chaz Bono. This was pre-Caitlyn Jenner."
"This was before anyone knew anything," he continued.
"It was a first exposure for a lot of people. And then on top of that, they can give birth! I think exposing the importance of fertility for trans people was a huge eye-opener."
Today, it seems absurd that Thomas' pregnancy had such fanfare. "Everything was a whirlwind, but I still don't regret it," he shared. The passage of time has changed a lot, both societally and personally.
Thomas gave birth to his first child, Susan, in 2008. Thomas would birth another two children, Austin and Jensen. The couple divorced in 2012.
In 2016, Thomas met Amber Nicholas, an employee at the kids' school. They welcomed another child into the family, whom Amber carried. The family lives together in Phoenix, Arizona.
Thomas works as a stockbroker, but he also takes on odd jobs in public speaking and acting. He shares custody of his older children with Nancy, who lives about 10 miles away.
Thomas is surprised when people recognize him, especially by the media's moniker, "the pregnant man."
"I thought I melted back into society, that I could just walk down the hall and be anonymous," he shared.
"I don't see anything wrong with being a pregnant man. I was so proud to be a dad, and I'm still proud to be a dad. I'm so proud that I was the one to bring my kids into the world. It's kind of like a badge."
Thomas noted how far the media has come. Where he was once misgendered, deadnamed, and made the butt of all kinds of jokes, today transgender people are finally starting to move through the world with respect and understanding, although there's still much to be done.
"It was really hard when my story came out," Thomas said.
"People were saying things on TV and in the media that if they came close to saying today, they would be immediately fired. I'm just in shock about how wild, Wild West it was back then."
Thomas also hopes that by continuing to live his life publicly, he's allowing other transgender people to see all the options out there for living their truth.
"I think a lot of people are still pigeonholed, thinking that if you want to be transgender, you have to completely get rid of all your (reproductive) organs," he said.
"In order to be a true transgender person, you just have to go through with this — and that you shouldn't want to have kids. There needs to be discussions about fertility, preservation. Being transgender, you shouldn't have to lose your right of having a family. You’re entitled to be happy and have a family and be respected."
