Not sure if it is appropriate to post in Jokes Forum, but this
story makes me want to laugh....
Also, not sure if the pregnancy is true.... From the website ... I
think it is true.... What is the world becoming of..... This is a
sick world 
As an artist who has had solo exhibitions at The Whitney Museum of
American Art and The Cleveland Museum of Art, Lee Mingwei explores
the evanescent and diurnal cycles of living. His work is based on
such basic human activities as cooking, letterwriting, and now
child-bearing.
A few weeks ago, writer Janice Versalius of PaperVeins magazine had
a long and intimate conversation with Mr. Lee in his Manhattan
apartment. An excerpt of the interview appears below. Additional
interviews with Mr. Lee will also be included in the upcoming film
documentary.
Janice
Mr. Lee, as we just discussed, male pregnancy may prove to be an
extremely dangerous medical procedure at this point - particularly
when your doctors perform your Cesarian operation. Why have you
chosen to do this?
Mr. Lee
A lot of people have cast this endeavor as something terribly
monstrous - a startling example of how science and medicine have
simply gone too far. From my perspective, however, I am simply
bringing a child into this world. There is nothing more natural and
beautiful on this earth than that. This is something that I've
always wanted to do.
Janice
But surely you understand why some people find the idea of a
pregnant man disturbing?
Mr. Lee
Well, I understand how it may be a shocking concept at first.
Biologically, women have always given birth to children, and men
have not. Despite the dramatic results of the sexual revolution in
the latter half of this century, there are still very distinct and
concrete social roles determined by this... until now... undeniable
biological fact. Now, it seems, we have several important questions
to consider. Why shouldn't men carry children and care for a fetus
the same way a women does? Why shouldn't a man bear a burden that
women have always carried? On the other hand, why shouldn't a man
be able to experience the same joy and excitement that a pregnant
woman feels nurturing a child within her own body? Now I think men,
as well as women, have more choices, more possibilities, more roles
they can assume in their lives.
Janice
I can tell you that my father for one would have donated all his
internal organs before even entertaining the idea of getting
pregnant.
Mr. Lee
Yes, it's interesting that many men feel very threatened by this
idea. Men getting pregnant used to be a big joke - a point of
ridicule. Someone was telling me about this popular American film
where Arnold Schwarzenegger's character became pregnant. The humor
was based on the sheer absurdity of such a distinct feminine
condition being imposed on someone who represented the ultimate
paradigm of Western masculinity. It seems like something rooted in
a preoccupation with very traditional gender role assumptions.
There was also an episode of The Cosby Show, apparently, where the
male characters dreamed they were all pregnant. Now that pregnant
men are a reality, no one is laughing anymore!
Janice
I was thinking about how a lot of sitcoms, particularly in the 70's
and 80's, were always filled with men dressing up women to get
laughs. But when men in real life actually wanted to dress up as
women, they were usually harassed or beaten up.
Mr. Lee
That's a good analogy. Drag was once considered something
provocative, bizarre, and unnatural. Now we even have the mayor of
New York dressing up as a woman on live television. Did you hear
about that?
Janice
I remember seeing it last year on Saturday Night Live. I thought I
was hallucinating.
Mr. Lee
But, he still did it for laughs. I think many drag queens who were
drawn to the subversion of drag - the shock value of it - are
somewhat disappointed at how mainstream it has become. And at the
same time, I see many transvestites who are still marginalized by
both gay and straight people. If you're a man who actually wants to
become a woman, without the intent of performing or putting on a
show, then you're still considered weird.
Janice
How would you respond to people who would consider you a pregnant
transvestite and not a pregnant man?
Mr. Lee
Well, it's not really accurate. I'm still male afterall -
biologically and anatomically. It's interesting that some people
believe the definition of being a man is so precarious! And unlike
the men who feel this strong desire to physically become women,
I've never wished for that ... and I haven't done that. I have,
however, always wanted to have a much stronger empathy with women.
I love my mother and sister very much, and I'm very happy to share
in something they have both experienced. Being pregnant is a
wonderful feeling. It's something that all human beings - both men
and women - should experience before they die. This process has
been a spiritual rebirth for me.
Janice
I was just reading about one of your art projects - A Hundred Days
With Lily. You have also described it as spiritually renewing
experience.
Mr. Lee
Yes. I carried a handful of white lilies for three months with me
wherever I went. It was in honor of my grandmother who had passed
away, to pay respect to her in some small way.
Janice
I read that this was something rooted in Ch'an Buddhism. Is that
correct?
Mr. Lee
The idea is rooted in Ch'an Buddhism. I had spent many years
growing up in a Buddhist monastery in Taiwan. We learned to
appreciate the simple, transient, and everyday moments in
life.
Janice
Well, I must say, a pregnant man isn't something you see
everyday.
Mr. Lee
Actually, I see this pregnancy as being very much in keeping with
Buddhist philosophical thought. There is a strong connection I feel
between myself, the child within my body, and the world around us
both. And I think there is a greater awareness and empathy I now
share with my mother and sister as a result of my pregnancy. Most
of all, there is a level of insight and understanding about being
alive - of sharing your life - in ways that I've never realized
before.
Janice
I've talked with other pregnant people who have also described this
sensation. I felt it strongly myself when I had my own daughter a
few years ago... One last question, Mr. Lee. Do you have a name for
your baby yet?
Mr. Lee
I think I'll only know the name when the child is born. I guess
we'll have to wait and see!
http://www.malepregnancy.com/
