In the April 8th issue of The Advocate, the leading GLBT magazine, he wrote an article entitled, Labor of Love: Is society ready for this pregnant husband? , in which he discusses his decision to carry his daughter and the difficulties which he and his wife now face.

During his sex-change surgery, Thomas decided to only have his breasts removed– keeping his reproductive organs intact. Therefore, since Nancy, his wife, lost her womb to a disease, it was up to either Thomas or a stranger surrogate to provide the couple with offspring.

The first few doctors they went to were horribly unsupportive. One nearly insisted that he shave off his facial hair and go to counseling.

After all of that, the first pregnancy nearly cost him his life and did cost him the embryos.

It also revealed the close-mindedness of his family—his brother told Thomas :

“It’s a good thing that happened. Who knows what kind of monster it would have been.”

The second attempt was successful, as the media blitz reveals, and the couple are expecting their daughter this summer.

Thomas and Nancy appeared on Oprah this past week and discussed their story. Thomas responded to the acusations that his choice to carry this baby makes him less of a man, stating,

“I have a very stable male gender identity. I see pregnancy as a process, and it doesn’t define who I am. It’s not a male or female desire to want to have a child…it’s a human desire […] I’m a person, and I have the right to have my own biological child.”

Pregnancy is already highly politicized to the abortion controversy. Pro-Choice vs. Pro-Life is debated in colleges, churches, and courthouses across the country.

Thomas Beaties’ unique case adds an entire new dimension to such discourse.

The Pro-Life camp, often Christians, argues that life begins at conception—leading them to oppose not only abortions but also embryonic stem cell research on the basis that an embryo is a human life.

I wonder how many within this camp truly believe that the fetus inside of Thomas Beattie deserves an equal right to life. Christian literature and evangelists often characterize Transsexuals and Homosexuals as “deviants” and argue that their “urges” can and must be fought against.

Across the way, the Pro-Choice camp argues that a woman should have complete control of her fertility and pregnancy.

I similarly am curious how many fellow liberal-progressives are willing to extend this right to a transsexual man such as Thomas Beatie. The Huffington Post’s story on Thomas’ Oprah interview has attracted many hateful comments. Surprising, given that the HP is a super liberal/progressive online news source, yet perhaps not unexpected. As the fiasco of the Gay Marriage Amendment over the past few years has revealed, even the most progressive people often balk in the face of the GLBT movement.

What do you think? Is Thomas Beatie a delusional lesbian, an awe-inspiring transsexual man, or simply an expectant father in every literal sense of the word?

For a great series of blogs on this issue check out RecoveringStraightGirl.com

Also, YouTube feature Thomas’ ultrasound for Oprah.

Sure, his music is pretty funktabulous, and that Purple Rain movie was by far one of the most amazing, melodramatic films I’ve ever seen, but Prince the guy?

Not so much.

He’s a tiny little man who wears clothes even I can’t fit into, and seems so feminine I was convinced he was a transsexual for most of my young life (not that I actually knew what a transsexual was at the time…I just thought he was a woman who wore a weird mustache).

If you can call a man a Diva, he’s not exactly the man for me.

And the former symbol is most definitely a Diva, as illustrated by the list of demands he had for his swanky London penthouse.

The Daily Star is reporting Mr. Prince demanded his room at the Dorchester Hotel be swaddled completely in black, with everything from the mirrors to the furniture to the frames of pictures of himself also coated in inky darkness. He wanted black candles too, and, oh yeah, an oxygen bar manned by “three foxy ladies”.

A black M&M machine was also requested. I mean, what’s a foxy lady oxygen bar party without loads and loads of M&Ms?

This is not the first time Prince has made intense requests. Last year at the BRIT awards, it’s reported that no one was allowed to look him in the eye (some people may have been happy about that, no bending down needed), and he also wanted a giant mirror in his dressing room to blow up his reflection.

The diminutive star is also allegedly dating his identical Caribbean back-up singers. No word yet on if he makes them call him The Purple One in the sack.

If you stand 5’3” as a man, wear ruffles, moan like a woman, and still manage to bed a pair of hot twins, perhaps you do deserve everything Prince is demanding. A guy like that certainly doesn’t come around often.