A vital component of honoring people’s identities is showing respect for the names and pronouns that they wish to use. Nevertheless, a significant number of people continue to oppose this practice, sometimes because of outmoded attitudes or an outright disregard for gender diversity.
A. Bennett By means of a cesarean section, Kaspar-Williams, who is 37 years old, and her husband Malik welcomed their baby Hudson into the world in October of 2020. In spite of the fact that Kaspar-Williams, who now identifies as non-binary and uses both he/him and they/them pronouns, was a male at the time and used he/him pronouns, he had a number of difficulties while he was in the hospital. The Daily Mail reports that nurses frequently misidentified him as a mother rather than a father. They referred to him as a mother on multiple occasions.
After coming to terms with his gender identity in 2011, Kaspar-Williams started the process of transitioning in 2014. He decided against undergoing treatments on his lower body, but he did have surgery on his upper body. When Kaspar-Williams went through the process of becoming pregnant and giving birth, she found that it was both rewarding and challenging. The continuous misgendering of him by medical staff, which ignored his gender identification, was a very disheartening experience for him.
In spite of the fact that Kaspar-Williams made it very apparent on medical paperwork what his gender was, the nursing staff continued to incorrectly identify him as a male during conversations. This experience brought to light the continuous battle to acknowledge that gender identity and delivery are not fundamentally tied to one another.
While expressing his sorrow about being misgendered during childbirth, Kaspar-Williams emphasized the importance of maintaining a clear distinction between the concepts of womanhood and motherhood throughout his speech. His objections were expressed to the New York Post, and he explained the discomfort he experienced when he was called “mom” despite the fact that he had indicated “male” on the medical documentation.
Although being born with a uterus does not guarantee that a woman will be able to conceive or carry a child, Kaspar-Williams stated that it is impossible to tell for definite whether or not having children is possible unless one really tries. “This is the reason why it is of the utmost importance that we break the definition of ‘womanhood’ in terms of’motherhood,’ because it is a false equivalence that all women are capable of becoming mothers, that all mothers carry their children, or that all people who carry children are mothers.”
Kaspar-Williams’ experience highlights the intricacies of identity and the crucial need of respecting individuals’ self-identification by highlighting the fact that he chose to embark on his pregnant journey after segregating the ideas of bodily functions from gender identity.
The case of Kaspar-Williams serves as a jarring illustration of the critical importance of increased awareness and sensitivity in the context of medical settings. As society progresses, so too must our comprehension of and respect for the various gender identities that exist. Respecting the pronouns and names that individuals have decided to use is a huge step toward creating a world that is more accepting and respectful of all people.
His journey through pregnancy and birthing serves as a dramatic illustration of the need for change in how we see and approach gender in all facets of life, particularly in crucial areas such as healthcare. His journey is remarkable because it demonstrates the need for change. This story is not simply about the experiences of a single person; rather, it is about the broader ramifications for how we treat and respect each other’s identities in all aspects of life.