In an interesting turn of events, a transgender couple hailing from Ecuador made history by being the first transgender couple in South America to become pregnant and have a baby.
“We are the same as other families”
Fernando Machado and Diane Rodriguez look just like any other couple you see on the street. In reality however, Fernando is a transgender man, and Diane, a transgender woman.
Photo from: BBC.com
The couple made headlines when they became the first transgender couple in South America to have a baby. And for many, their relationship is a symbol of the growing tolerance for the LGBT community not only in Ecuador, but in the entire region.
Fernando told the BBC, “We are the same as other families. Even though we might not have the same rights, we are the same.”
Diane then shared that she never thought that she would have the chance to become a mother because she is transsexual.
The couple was able to conceive naturally since neither of them had gone through gender reassignment surgery.
Making history
This isn’t the first time that Diane Rodriguez made the headlines. She was the first transgender person in Ecuador to run for a seat in congress back in 2013, but sadly, she didn’t win.
It’s not easy to raise a child in Ecuador as transgender parents. Opinion regarding the LGBT community is still divided most especially since Ecuador is a primarily Catholic country, and conservative thought is very prevalent. Diane, an activist, had been abducted several times because of her choices and her beliefs.
Regardless of whatever other people think, Diane and Fernando are simply happy to have a family of their own.
Fernando adds, “We live as man and woman. I’m a transfeminine woman and Fernando is a transmasculine man. The process to get here was complex for each of us.”
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Tackling transgender issues with your kids
These days, transgender issues are becoming more and more visible, and it might be difficult for parents to tackle the issue should their children ask about what being transgender means. It’s very important to tackle this issue positively since we want our children to understand why there are transgender people, and that they’re no different from anyone else.
Whenever our kids ask us about what it means to be transgender, we have to make it as clear and simple as possible. We can simply say that a transgender person is someone who feels that they should be a different gender, such as someone born as a woman who feels that he should be a man. It’s important for us to teach our children not to judge other people for their choices, or for being different.
Another important issue to tackle with your kids is the issue of bullying. We should teach them to embrace anyone and everyone from all creeds and walks of life, and to never hate other people simply because they’re different. We also need to emphasise tolerance and understanding so that our kids can grow up as caring and loving human beings.
Sources: BBC, Independent, Psychology Today