54 transgender men have given birth in Australia this year
54 transgender men in Australia have given birth to children over the past year.
Statistics released by Medicare, the Australian health branch of government, confirmed that 22 men in Perth, 16 in New South Wales, seven in Victoria, two in South Australia and one in Tasmania.
The spike in trans men giving birth comes after a change in policy in 2013 meant that the country began to recognise gender identities.
A spokesperson for the health department explained that this was especially positive for trans men as it meant they could then get services related to pregnancy through Medicare.
“The department is aware of cases of persons identifying themselves as male having pregnancy related treatment which can be claimed under Medicare. Previously these items could not be paid to male patients,” they said.
The change meant that other services including abortion are now available.
The spokesperson added: “This change reflects that some individuals while identifying themselves as male still require and are eligible for services previously only provided to people identified through their Medicare records as female (such as gynaecological services).”
Scott Parker, 23, gave birth to daughter Sara on April 29.
And a month and a half later, 21-year-old Hayden Cross welcomed Trinity-Leigh into the world.
Both halted their transitions to complete the pregnancies.
Scott, from Brighton in the south of England, told the Mail on Sunday that he never thought having his own biological child would be possible.
“I did want to have my own children, and I had thought about how it might be possible with fertility treatment, but in the end, I just wrote it off as something that is not going to happen,” he said.
Cross fell pregnant with the help of an anonymous sperm donor.
When he found out it had worked, he said he felt “mixed emotions”.
“I was happy but I also knew it would be backtracking on my transition,” he said. “It’s like I have given myself one thing, but taken away something else.”
In Canada, a parent successfully won a court battle to have their child officially recognised as non-binary.
Eight-month-old Searyl Atli Doty – Sea for short – got their national health card with a “U” entered in the sex category, months into a legal battle that their parent is still fighting.
Kori Doty, a trans non-binary parent, appealed against the Vital Statistics Agency’s decision to refuse Sea a birth certificate.