Yuval Topper-Erez, a transgender man, recently became a father for the third time and chose to share photos of his birth to promote inclusivity and break down barriers for the LGBT+ community. During his fourth pregnancy, Topper-Erez, who is based in England, decided to indulge in something he had always loved: taking pictures of births. However, he had initially planned to keep the photos private between himself and his family. Yet, he decided to share them with the world, and the photos are already making an impact.
On his Instagram account, the father wrote that he has always been fascinated by birthing photoshoots, so he decided to capture the experience for himself. “At first, I thought that they were only going to serve as a loving memory for me and perhaps for my son, but when I saw the result, I felt that I needed to share them because they represent very well two causes that I carry in my heart: the normalization of home births and the normalization of trans or non-binary people giving birth,” Topper-Erez said.
Yuval, a gestational trans parent, shared photos of his pregnancy journey, revealing that this was actually his fourth pregnancy. Unfortunately, his previous pregnancy ended in a miscarriage, leaving him with mixed emotions. “It was a difficult wait, physically and emotionally,” he admitted. He initially only shared his photos and joy with his closest circle, hoping to inspire other gestational trans parents to share their experiences as well. “I am not the first to live this experience, but unfortunately, there are not enough men who have decided to share their experiences due to taboos and discrimination,” he lamented.
Similarly, Topper Erez, another proud trans parent, shared photos of his pregnancy journey to help other members of the LGBT+ community who are still facing difficulties in some parts of the world. “These photos are my way of saying that we have the right to exist, to make decisions, to love, and to be respected,” he declared. His photos quickly went viral, and he received dozens of congratulatory comments from people commending him for his courage to speak about a topic that was once shrouded in secrecy. He hopes that his photos will help demonstrate that not only do gestational trans parents exist, but they also have the right to enjoy their parenthood publicly.
