You know there’s a pregnant man emoji?

Normalisation absolutely helps, yes. All the monstrous GOP rhetoric hinges on othering trans folks. An emoji is a tiny step, but every little helps. Unironically thank you for asking, that was actually an excellent and important question.

I don’t think that someone who dislikes trans people is going to see it and immediately start flying an ally flag. I do think it can have an impact.

It helps young trans men and their sexual partners - it is sadly common for folks to assume that they can’t get pregnant on testosterone. It often stops cycles, so it does decrease the chances, but it is important for trans men and anyone they might be having sex with recognize that pregnancy is a possibility if they’re using their original plumbing. If you aren’t having cycles, it’s easier to miss one. Never happened to me or anyone I know, but I transitioned a while back and my doctor didn’t know this. (I also had to tell the doctor I was straight to get treatment back in the day, so maybe it’s fair he didn’t warn me 😂) Pregnancy requires going off of testosterone though, as it can harm the fetus.

It helps educate the Irreversible Damage crowd - the narrative of mutilation and destruction. TERFs tend to bemoan fertility - this idea that evil rainbow people are going to trick your kids into giving up the ability to have children. This is the kind of narrative everyone’s favorite children’s book author pushes - “your poor daughters will transition to escape male privilege and regret giving up their ability to have babies!” But this is something that you discuss with your doctors as part of your treatment. When I used Planned Parenthood to get my testosterone, I also got lots of guidance and advice on my long term fertility.

I also frequently have to explain to nurses and doctors the configuration of my anatomy. There are lots of people, even educated medical professionals, who have make a ton of assumptions about how trans medical care works. A common assumption might be that all trans men find the idea of childbirth so upsetting that it’s best not to bring it up at all (this may be the experience for some folks, but not for all). When I’ve experienced new patient intake, sometimes doctors will ask me when I’m “completing” my transition - which they understand as a hysterectomy. Awareness of the fact that transgender men want to and do carry children might help them understand that transition often has different end goals for different folks.

It might also help my future children when I explain to them the story of how they came into the world. When I work with children now, it’s very important to me that they see themselves and their families represented, and that would be even more critical for my own children.