'The World Of Pregnant Trans Men' | Advocate Film | The Advocate

Summary

This documentary explores gender identity and non-binary experiences, focusing on trans masculine individuals who become pregnant. The filmmaker, who underwent top surgery and chose to breastfeed, shares personal insights. The film challenges societal norms and assumptions about gender, aiming to broaden perspectives and promote acceptance of diverse gender expressions.

Takeaways

• 🧔 The individual has a beard and underwent top surgery, which initially causes confusion about their gender.
• 🤰 Despite the physical changes, they are pregnant and considering breastfeeding, showing a strong desire to embrace motherhood.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The partner, Heather, is supportive and willing to induce lactation to help with breastfeeding.
• 🎥 The film focuses on gender non-binary identities, particularly from the perspective of trans masculine individuals who are pregnant.
• 📽️ The filmmaker started the project to explore the in-between spaces of gender that were not well-represented in media.
• 🚫 The media often focuses on the struggles and adversities faced by transgender individuals, but the film aims to show happiness and self-acceptance.
• 🌈 The film seeks to challenge viewers' assumptions about gender and encourage a broader understanding of gender diversity.
• 🤔 The filmmaker hopes that viewers will question their own preconceived notions about gender after watching the film.
• 🌟 The film celebrates individuals who are content with their identity, even if it doesn't fit into societal norms or expectations.
• 📚 The film is intended to be an educational tool to help people understand and respect the complexity of gender identities.

Q & A

What is the initial reaction people have when they see the speaker?

People initially notice the speaker's beard and breasts, which causes confusion, and they often don't even get as far as noticing the belly.

Why didn't the speaker's appearance immediately suggest pregnancy to others?

The speaker's appearance, including having had top surgery nine years prior, made the idea of pregnancy not immediately occur to people.

What was the speaker's partner's role in the process of having a child?

The speaker's partner, Heather, attempted to induce lactation so that she could breastfeed the child.

What was the speaker's approach to breastfeeding as a trans masculine person?

The speaker approached breastfeeding with 'butch panache,' embracing the complexity of their gender identity while fulfilling a maternal role.

What is the main theme of the speaker's film?

The film is about gender, specifically focusing on non-binary varieties of gender, particularly through the lens of trans masculine individuals who are pregnant.

When did the speaker start making the film?

The speaker started making the film about five years ago when transgender topics were becoming more common in conversations.

Why did the speaker feel they didn't fit into the typical transgender or butch lesbian categories?

The speaker felt they didn't fit into these categories because their identity and experiences didn't align with the common assumptions or representations they saw in media.

What was the speaker's goal in creating the film?

The speaker aimed to explore the in-between spaces of gender identity and to represent individuals who are content with their unique gender expressions.

What was the speaker's observation about the media's portrayal of transgender individuals before making the film?

The media typically focused on the struggles and adversities faced by transgender individuals, rather than their happiness and self-acceptance.

What message does the speaker hope people take away from the film?

The speaker hopes that people understand it's okay to be whoever they are, as long as it's not harming anyone, and that they question their own assumptions about gender.

What is the intended impact of the film on viewers who don't identify with the subjects?

The film aims to make viewers question their assumptions about gender and broaden their understanding of what gender can be.