Pregnant man, Thomas Beatie, will deliver documentary next

Even while pregnant, Thomas Beatie still had the manly job of lawn care.

The Bend, Oregon transman who recently gave birth to a baby girl has not been particularly shy in regards to the media. Some have even criticized the publicity surrounding the family as not only excessive but planned, as Beatie has been penning an epic autobiography for several years.

This September, however, will see the first documentary about the now famous man courtesy London, UK’s September Films.

According to Variety Magazine:

…September Films has won worldwide rights to produce Pregnant Man, an hour-long docu about the first man in the world to give birth…Docu will tell the story of his life, from difficult childhood and transgender issues as a teenager, through to the birth of his daughter at an Oregon hospital on June 29.

Aside from the problematic assertion that Beatie is actually the first pregnant transman, (that title actually belongs to Matt Rice, longtime trans activist and former partner to writer Pat Califia) I do wonder that a truly investigative and thoughtful piece can premier less than 3 months after the child’s birth.

That said, the media surrounding the Beaties’ pregnancy has been positive in that never before have trans issues, let alone trans parenting issues had such a broad and mainstream audience. The way Oprah handled the topic seemed both investigative and respectful. And whether or not there is an element of self-promotion in Beatie’s willingness to become a media spectacle, the reality is that he is doing a great good for the visibility of trans people and queer parents in general.

It will be interesting to see where or on what channel the US version gets released and how it continues to be distributed. And this might say as much about America’s feelings, as about the life and times of Thomas and Nancy Beatie.

Will you watch?