There are few things more life-changing than giving birth to a baby. Not only does your body go through a complete transformation, but your heart and soul also are altered forever knowing that the infant grew and developed inside of you. It's a magical feeling no one can ever take away from you.
Bennett Kaspar-Williams, a transgender man, wanted to experience all of the wonders of pregnancy, childbirth, and parenthood, so he and his partner began their family in 2020.
It wasn't easy for Bennett, who began his transition in 2014, but he and his husband, Malik, knew it was worth it. Together, the pair started a journey of pregnancy and parenthood and want other families with transgender parents to understand they can have a beautiful, healthy pregnancy and delivery, too.
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Bennett knew he was transgender a long time ago.
Per the Daily Mail, Bennett identified as transgender as early as 2011, but didn't begin his transition until 2014. He and Malik met in 2017, and in 2019, the pair married. Bennett underwent breast removal surgery in 2015 but had not had any genital surgery when he and Malik decided they wanted to have a baby.
He explained to the Daily Mail that his breasts caused him emotional trauma, but he still has no plans for bottom surgery.
"That's the end of the surgical road when it comes to my transitioning though – bottom half surgery is off the table. I have no dysphoria with that part of my body," he said.
Because he opted not to have bottom surgery, pregnancy was still on the table.
It wasn't going to be easy, but he and Malik understood that physically, Bennett was able to conceive and give birth, so they wanted to give it a try. Bennett temporarily stopped taking testosterone hormone treatments to kick-start his ovaries. For him, pregnancy is not a function of gender.
"I always knew it was a possibility that my body might achieve pregnancy, but it wasn't something I ever wanted to do until I learned how to separate the function of my body from any notions of gender," he told the Daily Mail.
"Once I learned to think of my body as a tool and not a collection of gendered stereotypes, I realized that I could both be the person I wanted to and bring a child into the world."
Bennett became pregnant without medical intervention.
Aside from stopping hormone treatments, Bennett and Malik had no other help from doctors, and he became pregnant naturally. He explained to the Daily Mail that the most difficult part of the pregnancy and childbirth experience was misgendering by medical professionals. He said that even with a beard and flat chest, people still referred to him as a woman.
"The only thing that made me dysphoric about my pregnancy was the misgendering that happened to me when I was getting medical care for my pregnancy," he said. "The business of pregnancy – and yes, I say business, because the entire institution of pregnancy care in America is centered around selling this concept of 'motherhood' – is so intertwined with gender that it was hard to escape being misgendered."
For the Kaspar-Williams family, two dads is perfect.
Bennett told the Daily Mail that his son will know his birth story and will be raised to love everyone for who they are.
"To my son, there's nothing more natural and normal than having a Dada and a Papa, and when he's old enough, he will also come to know that his Dada was the one who carried him and took care of him so he could come into this world," Bennett said.
He added, "Children see love, they see patience, and they see commitment. My son will no doubt accept that he came from me, just as he accepts all the other love and beauty around him – with open arms."
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Bennett and Malik are enjoying parenthood.
The pair share their life on social media on various Instagram accounts @Bennettonpurpose, @Malikdubs, and @Hudsonsdads. Although there are many who may disagree with the dads' lifestyle, it would be hard to argue that Hudson is being raised by two parents who love and care for him unconditionally.
"The cutest human ever: a Toddlers are wild. Toddlers are loud," Bennett captioned a 2023 Instagram pic. "Toddlers never stop talking. Toddlers can be a handful and then some. But then they show you a few moments of pure joy and innocence and the rest melts away. That smile makes it all worth it."
