A historic birth recently took place in the city of Bourges, where a person recognized as a man by French law gave birth to his child, who was conceived by a (biologically male) trans woman partner. A case like this has never been seen before in France, reports Le Berry Républicain.

Mattéo, who is a woman according to his gender at birth, but is recognized as a man by French law, and his life partner, the – biological man – trans woman Victorie, were part of a historic moment, as they are the first officially recognized trans couple (both parties changed their gender on personal documents before giving birth ), who gave birth to a child.

Mattéo, who gave birth to a baby, began transitioning at the age of 24, a process aimed at adapting a person's appearance to their gender identity. His partner, Victorie, discovered the concept of transgender at the age of 16 through videos posted by a transgender person, and as a result, at the age of 18, he turned to gender reassignment treatments - unofficially.

Both parties had a big dream of "founding a family", so they stopped hormone therapy for a while and postponed gender reassignment surgeries, but they intend to continue these in the future.

Although the transgender couple spoke highly of the attitude of the hospital that conducted the birth and the professionals working there, they also voiced their criticism in several respects regarding the otherwise liberal French law in force.

On the one hand, they complain that on the official documents, Mattéo, who gave birth to the child, is listed as the mother, a fact they claim is unacceptable, as it does not match the trans man's gender identity.

In France, "Justice XXI. The law of November 18, 2016 on the modernization of the 21st century" canceled the sterilization obligation necessary to change the gender in the registry, so it is currently de facto possible to give birth to a child as a man in the Western European country. Pursuant to the legislation, "any adult or emancipated minor who proves with a sufficient number of facts that the gender entry in the civil registry does not correspond to the gender in which he presents himself and is known, may request the change of this entry", and "the request may not serve the reason for its rejection is the fact that the applicant has not undergone medical treatment, surgery or sterilization" . (In this regard, it is also worth mentioning the 2021 report of the European Parliament, in which the left-liberal hegemonic political body - with the unanimous support of the Hungarian left-wing MEPs - expressly declared that men can give birth too.)

At the same time, the official recognition of motherhood or paternity corresponding to gender identity - in the absence of legislation and precedent of this kind - already depends on the courts, which decide on the issue on a case-by-case basis. Previously, for example, it took eight years of legal battles for a transgender woman who retained her male attributes to be officially declared a mother by the court.

The couple also complains that their request for artificial insemination was rejected on the grounds that a "man" cannot get pregnant.

It should be remembered that last year an activist group dealing with reproductive and sexual issues submitted to the French Constitutional Council the issue of access to IVF treatment for transgender men, in connection with which the robed body came to the conclusion that transgender men are not entitled to such procedures despite the fact that they are physically able to get pregnant.

However unique this may seem from the point of view of our country, this is not the first case in the world when a person who is – according to the law – considered to be a man gives birth. In the United States, trans Thomas Beatie has already given birth to three children, and another transgender man, Trystan Reese, was able to give birth through artificial insemination.

Civilek.info

Photo: Michel Benoit / Radio France