Transgender Man Who Gave Birth Loses Court Battle To Be Registered As The Father
Freddy McConnell, a transgender man who gave birth with the help of fertility treatment and a sperm donor lost his legal fight to be registered as the child’s father.
The UK High Court ruled that he will have to be registered as the child’s mother. Andrew McFarlane, president of the Hugh Court’s family division, “deemed that being a “mother” referred to being pregnant and giving birth, regardless of whether that person, in law, was a man or a woman”, the CNN reports.
"There is a material difference between a person's gender and their status as a parent," McFarlane ruled.
"It is now medically and legally possible for an individual, whose gender is recognized in law as male, to become pregnant and give birth to their child. Whilst that person's gender is 'male,' their parental status, which derives from their biological role in giving birth, is that of 'mother." he added.
On Twitter, McConnell said he would appeal.
"I'm saddened by the court's decision not to allow trans men to be recorded as father or parent on their children's birth certificates," he wrote.
"I fear this decision has distressing implications for many kinds of families. I will seek to appeal and give no more interviews at this stage."
Born female, Freddy McConnell transitioned to become a man and was legally recognized as male when he became pregnant in 2017, giving birth in 2018.
Keep up to date with the latest myGnews
