Political Correctness

Pensdtemmon However to have become pregnant they will be women now even if they were designated men at birth.

I think it was that the person in question was designated female at birth and has a womb and ovaries producing eggs but was in the process of transgendering to male, then decided to become impregnated with donor sperm before completing the process to become male.

It's quite interesting, because I am wondering if the parent will decide to/be able to breast-feed the child

On the NHS no doubt.

Why not on the NHS? I presume the transgender person is still a human being and a citizen?

I don't see any reason why a female transgendering wouldn't be able to breastfeed if they have halted the process in order to have a baby. They'll still have the necessary hormones.

Yes, I was just interested to know if she will do so or want to carry on straight away with treatment after the birth

Yes, Jalima. It's very hard to know what someone will want do do when they fall outside what Society deems to be 'normal'.

Political Correctness prevents me from commenting at this present time.

If you mean that you are refraining from being rude, Firecracker that is not really political correctness..

No I am being PC. I do not agree with a woman who is undergoing treatment to become a man (I have no problem or issue with that) then stopping this treatment to be impregnated with donor sperm to have a baby. Seems she/he wants to have it all and If the NHS is footing the bill I don't think it is right.

I'm having trouble with this too. A woman feels she is in the wrong body and ought to have been born a man. Fair enough. She wishes to change into a man through treatment. Fair enough.

But then she decides to have a baby, a very womanly wish. Now I'm having problems.

I do not think a charge of political correctness has ever been cited for the casual attitude of those in authority to Jimmy Saville's sexually abusive behaviour. It was more a case of not wanting to kill the goose that laid the golden egg, in the same way that some football clubs have tried to shrug off stories of unsavoury sexual behaviour byor even convictions of their football stars because they cost a lot and the club is dependent on them for good results - and that means money. There was no 'political' correctness about the covering up of child abuse in schools, youth groups, and, as we now know, some football youth teams. It was fear of loss of reputation, money and a number of clear causes

To me 'political' correctness has got more to do with denying something is happening because it clashes with the approved views of those who should deal with it. Refusing to protect children because the crimes against them arise from the culture within a specific ethnic group (FGM and Honour crimes), because we should respect the cultural differences of these groups. In the past many people refused to accept that a child could be abused by religious leader or teacher, because people like that didn't do things like that.

Well said MOnica Hard for me to understand that people can't/ won't see the difference.

Oh I see.. I did not see anything about the original story. I should have researched before posting!
I do need to understand more about this. I am not sure, if I felt I was a man, but born with a female body, that I would want to become pregnant/breasfeed as that is such a 'female' domain.

Will ask a couple of friends who have more direct knowledge!

Years ago, about the time I was having my children there was a very funny book doing the rounds, based on the premise that God asked his angels what was the most common wish made by mankind and they replied that it was women saying. 'Why can't men have babies? then they would understand'. God decided to grant this wish and all sorts of men in high places found they were pregnant.

I suppose it would be considered politically incorrect these days.

It is not politically correct to use political correctness to avoid difficult situations. That is cowardice or political expediency.

Elegran I cant find any information regarding that on the internet.

Neither can I now, grannypiper At the time there were photographs and articles about it. Now the nearest thing I can find is a vague reference to internet hoaxes, plus a comment that an ectopic pregnancy (which that would be) was very dangerous because other organs are not designed to release the placenta when the time comes. So I suppose it must have been a con.

anya said: "I'm having trouble with this too. A woman feels she is in the wrong body and ought to have been born a man. Fair enough. She wishes to change into a man through treatment. Fair enough.
But then she decides to have a baby, a very womanly wish. Now I'm having problems."

I recently heard an argument which said that such a woman is mentally ill and should be treated for the illness. I was shocked at the time but such a person does seem to be bloody screwed up. I feel sorry for anyone having to deal with this kind of illness.

thatbags bloody screwed up That will bring the PC brigade down on you, very funny though.

And if she is screwed up, I feel sorry for the baby as well as for her. Or him.

I share the dislike of the phrase 'politically correct' as it only ever seems to be used in a derogatory way.

In answer to the question 'is there a place for pc', it's apparent from the political upheavals in the US, UK and other parts of Europe that many people have felt unable to express their views without offending what they see as the pc brigade.

The obvious Brexit example in the UK would be immigration imo. I live in a part of the country with high levels of unemployment and deprivation. We're also used as areas to which asylum seekers, refugees and it should not be forgotten, deprived white British people being sent out of the London area to keep housing benefit costs down. Our schools, hospitals and other public services are stretched, it's difficult to get school places etc in many areas. The difficulty is discussing these issues without matters either being dismissed (as in Jeremy Corbyn) or distorted (Nigel Farrage)

When most of us were in our teens, homosexuality was illegal. Thankfully, the kind of prejudice levelled at gay men and lesbians is rarely expressed in the UK these days. I see it as a good thing that the rights of the LGBT community are recognised and discussed sensitively by most people . I can't imagine the difficulties faced by people who believe they were born in the wrong body and want to transition. No wonder the medical profession are so careful about mental health/gender dysphoria issues, especially when it's parents of young children driving the agenda.

If wanting to approach these issues sensitively and not feeling its wrong NHS funding is available makes me pc, so be it.

I brought the 'pregnant person' issue up because I was interested to see people's reaction. It was on Woman's Hour a few days ago so can probably be heard again as a podcast. I didn't hear the whole discussion but I think the transgender interviewee had been born a woman and hadn't completed his/her reassignment. S/he still had a womb and ovaries. Not sure about whether she had had her breasts removed or not.

Feeling broody is not solely a woman's preserve so I imagine the person concerned wanted a child before it was too late.

I confess that it scrambled my head a bit though I am trying to stop myself from being judgemental. Even the transgender person thought that the language issue was a bit OTT.

Political correctness to me is simply good manners. So you give consideration to the LGBT folk and women and different faiths and nationalities.

Men want babies too though Anya
But normally without all the inconvenience involved in the process!

I just wondered if she would change her mind when the baby arrives and she may want to breastfeed it, feel all that motherly bonding. I know fathers bond too but, as a female, I don't have much idea about how that differs from the mother/child bond.

And I am rather too about whether or not this person has a partner, male or female.

And if I met the pregnant person I would be unsure how to address her at the moment. She must still be a woman. It is biologically impossible for a male to carry a baby in a womb.

To change the directions from the NHS to doctors seems unnecessary.

I heard the interview with the transgender person on Woman's Hour too and think the man said he had had his breasts removed. Whether that means he cannot breast feed I am not sure. I think he said he had a partner but whether that person is male or female was not divulged. He also said he had to stop taking testestorone in order to get pregnant and will carry on with that after the baby is born. Makes me feel uneasy - does he want to be male or female?