The world is in a constant state of flux, yet sometimes it doesn't keep pace with the needs of all its inhabitants. This is particularly true for many transgender individuals, who often find themselves having to repeatedly affirm their identities.
The acceptance of using chosen pronouns to respect others' gender identities hasn't fully taken hold everywhere. Gender identity remains a contentious issue that occasionally escalates into more visible conflicts.
Transgender Man Criticizes Nurses For Calling Him 'Mom' Following ChildbirthRecently, 37-year-old Bennett Kaspar-Williams celebrated the birth of their child, Hudson, delivered by cesarean section. Bennett's husband, Malik, supported them throughout the smooth process.
Although Kaspar-Williams initially identified as male and used he/him pronouns, they have since shifted to a non-binary identity, adopting they/them pronouns.
However, a significant issue arose post-birth: the hospital staff continuously referred to Kaspar-Williams as a mother, not as a father, which was a point of contention for them.
In 2011, Kaspar-Williams recognized his transgender identity and by 2014 had undergone upper body surgery, leaving the lower half unchanged.
Kaspar-Williams experienced both fulfillment and frustration during the pregnancy and childbirth process, dismayed by medical staff who failed to acknowledge his correct gender.
Transgender Man Criticizes Nurses For Calling Him 'Mom' Following ChildbirthDespite listing their preferred pronouns on medical forms, the nursing staff persistently misgendered them in person, particularly noticeable after Hudson's birth. In response, Kaspar-Williams has become an advocate for recognizing that childbirth transcends gender boundaries.
Kaspar-Williams has emphasized the need to separate the concepts of womanhood from motherhood, voicing discomfort to major media outlets about being consistently called "mom," despite clearly identifying as male on all documentation.
"No one can ever really know whether having children is possible until you try — being born with a uterus doesn't make conceiving or carrying a certainty. That's why it's so important that we stop defining 'womanhood' in terms of 'motherhood,' because it's a false equivalency that all women can become mothers, that all mothers carry their children, or that all people who carry children are mothers."
This issue of gender recognition in childbirth and parenting is likely to be debated for many years to come.
