Bennett Kaspar-Williams, a 37-year-old parent from Los Angeles, has shared their experience of pregnancy and childbirth as a transgender and now non-binary individual. Bennett, who was identifying as male and using he/him pronouns at the time, welcomed a son named Hudson with husband Malik in October 2020 through a cesarean birth. After beginning his gender transition in 2014, Bennett had been taking testosterone for years before deciding to pause treatment in order to conceive. Although he had undergone top surgery, he chose to carry the child himself after carefully considering the emotional and physical aspects of pregnancy. Bennett became pregnant naturally shortly after the couple began trying to start a family.

While the pregnancy itself was meaningful and fulfilling, Bennett described the medical experience as emotionally difficult because hospital staff repeatedly misgendered him. Despite clearly marking “male” on medical paperwork, nurses frequently referred to him as “mom” and treated pregnancy as something automatically tied to womanhood. Bennett explained that the constant misgendering caused feelings of discomfort and dysphoria during an already vulnerable time. Since Hudson’s birth, Bennett has become an advocate for separating ideas of parenthood from gender identity. He believes society should recognize that not all people who give birth identify as women or mothers and that not all women can or choose to have children. Bennett’s story highlights the evolving conversation around gender identity, parenthood, and the importance of respecting how individuals identify themselves. Through sharing his journey publicly, he hopes to encourage more understanding, compassion, and inclusivity within healthcare systems and society as a whole.