Sometimes I despair, but then I have a cup of tea and some nice Arnott’s Monte Carlo biscuits, dunked in the tea, then some prayers, and I feel ready to begin the battle again. Are you ready for this one?
“A transgender man became pregnant after a one-night stand on a gay dating app — and he says that the experience "felt like one of the most masculine things" he's ever done.
What are the details?
According to the Daily Mail, 28-year-old Ash Patrick Schade — a self-described minister of Satan, mental health worker, and Ph.D. student — became pregnant during his transition from a female to a male.
"I was going through a rough time from 2019 and 2020 and struggled with my mental health due to going through a divorce," Schade, who began his transition in 2018, said. "I ended up going on Grindr hookups and accidentally fell pregnant."
Schade — who was married to a man prior to the transition — was taking testosterone and estrogen blockers and became pregnant during a one-night stand on dating app Grindr.
"It had never occurred to me that I could get pregnant whilst on testosterone and estrogen blockers, as it's such a rare occurrence," Schade said according to the report.
Schade, who later met his current husband, Jordan, while pregnant with the child, gave birth to a healthy baby daughter in October 2020.
Schade said that the birthing process was more unique than he could ever have known.
"'When I went into labor, the team of medical staff had already been briefed on my situation and were amazing, until they were swapped out with different staff members later on," Schade recalled. "It may sound counter-intuitive, but giving birth felt like one of the most masculine things I have done."
'I can explain to her how I am both her mom and her dad'
Schade said that he felt very supported during the whole process.
“[T]hroughout the whole thing I had the love of my husband Jordan supporting me throughout, he even cut Ronan’s cord, he’s been there every step of the way," Schade said according to the U.K.'s Daily Star. "I had all of my friends following my journey and checking in, as well as the support of the online gay and trans community and even the Satanic Temple of which I’m a member.”
Following his delivery, he had top surgery to remove his breasts and plans to have bottom surgery once he's done having children.
The outlet reported that Schade said he'd long struggled with feeling like he was in the "wrong body" and even attended conversion therapy as a child.
"I hid my boobs and identified as a boy at school and went by Ash, and wore gothic dark clothes as a way to hide how I looked," Schade said. "Until one day, my mother, who does not wish to be named, sent me to school in a pink two-piece for picture day and my teacher loudly declared that I was actually a girl called Ashley. ... I went from popular to a nobody overnight, with my then girlfriend's mum calling my mom to 'Keep that gay slur of a child away from my daughter.'"
Schade said that he experienced a "really horrible childhood" and survived a suicide attempt from the "gender dysphoria and trauma" he endured.
The new parent said that he plans to tell his daughter all about his journey when she's older.
"I want to be honest and open with Ronan the whole way, and explain to her that sometimes trans men can have babies," he said. "I can explain to her how I am both her mom and her dad."
What a wonderful world; I am sure Lou Armstrong would agree: