I just watched an incredible Oprah show about the world’s first pregnant man. Yes, a MAN that is pregnant. I saw a picture of him with his shirt off; I saw a video of him getting an ultrasound. This isn’t some made up story on the front of a tabloid. I mean, it was on OPRAH! And I understand that People magazine has the story this month. That’s where the picture of him with his shirt off came from.

Do you know the most amazing thing that occurred to me as I watched that show, and I found myself smiling, fairly beaming, with him as he shed tears of joy upon seeing the baby’s hands and feet on the ultrasound as he felt the kicks and punches inside of him. What an extraordinary thing carrying a baby is. It’s the biggest miracle that I know of or have ever experienced if, indeed, you can rank miracles. And it doesn’t matter if it’s a woman carrying the child or a man. It’s just a joyous thing. What a lucky little baby to be born into a family that is so obviously loving and kind. I do hope the rest of society will be as kind to this little girl when she comes into the world.

I know that some people will be disgusted by this miracle. I know all kinds of judgments will be made on Tom, who used to be Tracy, and his beloved wife, Nancy, who is already the mother of two beautiful grown daughters. Just seeing how radiant they both were as they sat together on Oprah’s show and talked with such pride and anticipation of this miraculous birth made me think, “How can anyone be upset by this? How can anyone not be elated by this miracle in their lives?” But I know that some will go out of their way to pass judgment on them, finding them guilty of being nothing less than perverted monsters. Some will feel the child they are so looking forward to sharing their lives with should be pitied, or worse, taken from them to be raised in a “normal” family. So, what is more normal than a family built on love and respect and understanding and tolerance? But some won’t see it that way. It really saddens me to know that perhaps even MOST won’t see it that way.

While I was watching the show, a commercial for Barack Obama, who is running for President, came on. I had taped the Oprah show, and so I could rewind and watch that commercial a couple of times until I clearly heard his final statement. He said, “The world as it is, is not the world as it has to be.” And he’s so right. Who would ever figure that you’d see a tolerant and loving show about a man, who used to be a woman, having a baby on a mainstream TV program? But that’s just a sign of the world changing, evolving, and becoming what it can be instead of what it is.

I’m so happy for Tom and Nancy. I know their little girl will be blessed to have such parents. And I’m so blessed that I have evolved enough to be able to proudly say so.

Diana