Father's Dazed: Slate Goes All Freaky Friday on Oregon's "First" Male Birth

It's always fascinating to see how the whole thing with Thomas Beatie, the Bend man giving birth in the next few weeks—is still playing out in the press.

Today's news, via Slate, tries to answer the question of whether or not Mr. Beatie can really be called the "father" of his soon-to-be newborn. The article, by Nathan Heller, details how Beatie must proceed to be legally labeled the "father" on his baby's birth certificate.

Heller's piece even delves into the notion that this might be a test of Oregon's new anti-discrimination laws:

Conceivably, he could avoid even a temporary "mother" status by invoking a 2007 state amendment (PDF) that outlaws discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, defined to include "gender identity, regardless of whether the individual's gender identity, appearance, expression or behavior differs from that traditionally associated with the individual's sex at birth." To call Beatie a mother, a lawyer might argue, would be to treat him as something other than a man—an illegal discrimination against his current sexual orientation.

Any thoughts as we approach Father's Day?