Yuval Topper-Erez, a transgender man who recently became a father for the third time, decided to break down barriers for the LGBT+ community by sharing photos of his home birth. Topper-Erez, based in England, had always enjoyed taking pictures of births and decided to capture his own experience during his fourth pregnancy. Initially, he planned to keep the photos within his family, but instead decided to share them with the world, and they have already started making an impact.
On his Instagram account, the father expressed his love for birth photoshoots and shared his motivation for sharing these pictures. He stated, “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.”
Yuval, a gestational trans parent, recently shared photos of his pregnancy and childbirth on social media, revealing that this was his fourth pregnancy. He also spoke about the emotional and physical challenges of his previous miscarriage, stating, “It was a difficult wait, physically and emotionally.”
Yuval initially shared the photos with his close circle, hoping that it would inspire other “hippocampus” parents and those who help give birth. He emphasized that he is not the first to live this experience, but many men are reluctant to share their experiences due to discrimination and taboos.
Similarly, Topper Erez, another trans parent, shared photos of his pregnancy and childbirth despite it being a past event. He noted that the LGBT+ community still faces difficulties in some countries and stressed the importance of visibility. He said, “These photos are my way of saying that we have the right to exist, to make decisions, to love, and to be respected.”
His photos quickly went viral, and he received an outpouring of congratulations and support from people who admired his courage to speak out about trans parenting.
Both Yuval and Topper’s photos demonstrate that trans parenting is a real and valid experience, and they hope to inspire others to share their stories and experiences openly.
