I’ve been using the Pregnant Man Emoji

by philg

“A pregnant man emoji is here and it’s about damn time” (Today’s Parent):

Apple is set to release 37 new emojis, including two that are pregnancy-related. One features a pregnant man and the other features a pregnant person, both created to recognize that not all people who get pregnant are women—some are trans men and non-binary folk.

Others have viewed the new emoji as an important step for trans folks who have been hoping to see themselves represented. “We’ve been crying out for a pregnant man emoji for years so thank you for finally listening!” wrote another Twitter user.

I haven’t had the opportunity to use the emoji to celebrate a male-identifying friend’s pregnancy. This is not because men can’t be pregnant people, of course, but because most of my friends are older than is conventional for becoming a pregnant person.

The emoji, however, turns out to be the perfect response when middle-aged male-identifying friends send food pictures. Two friends recently sent me pictures from a dim sum house, for example. Both guys were sporting their “Lockdown 15” look, so the pregnant man emoji response made sense. One good thing about the Signal messaging app (so thoroughly encrypted that even President Harris won’t be able to incarcerate you for thoughtcrime) is that it allows you to react to a message with any emoji, not just the small handful that Facebook offers. So you don’t even have to respond with this emoji, but can simply use it as a reaction.

And then the emoji’s value was turbocharged last night due to the leak of a draft Supreme Court opinion. When people on Facebook or Twitter write about how they believe the decision would affect women, one can respond with “Why is this about “women”? 🫃” (the emoji does not render on my Windows 10 desktop machine; Microsoft is denying Science?)

Readers: What are you doing with this emoji?

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24 thoughts on “I’ve been using the Pregnant Man Emoji”

  1. Remember the 1970s tv show MASH, where Klinger wore a dress trying to get discharged for insanity? 2022 MASH would have Klinger wearing a dress trying to get promoted for bravery.

  2. Apple does not allow to add third party graphics? Someone has to ask (beg) leaders for graphics?

  3. This blog really needs a pregnant GREENSPUN emoji. Not sure a real pregnant Greenspun would fit in any airplanes, since Russia destroyed the AN-224.

  5. I think the designers must have carefully chosen a focus group of straight (presumably white) males and iterated until they arrived at the icon that repelled the group most.

    So who leaked the Supreme Court draft? Perfect timing for a BLM-like outrage before the midterm elections. It cannot be Russian Hackers, since the outrage favors Democrats. Perhaps a Silicon Valley activist?

  6. That Supreme Court draft keeps referring to a woman’s right to choose. So do the stories in the NY Times. Didn’t they get the memo that men can be pregnant also?

  8. The ongoing abortion battle in this country is really ridiculous. The same old story. Conservatives want to control your personal life and Liberals want to control your finances.

    • @GermanL: It’s not ridiculous. Roe v. Wade WAS wrongfully decided and the liberals have known that since Day One. What they want is taxpayer-funded, federally-guaranteed abortions with absolutely ZERO restrictions up until the moment of birth, even on viable pregnancies. Under the draft ruling, if individual states want it, they can become abortion centers and philanthropists like Mike Bloomberg can take some of their money and fund “Rescue Buses” for women who want to go and have their pregnancies aborted. But it should never have been confused with a Constitutionally protected “right” and it is not one.

      You should take some time and learn a little bit about the Constitution of the United States before you shoot your mouth off.

    • @GermanL: There have been more than 65 million abortions in the United States since Roe v. Wade became “settled law” and allowed people to walk into an abortionist’s office, chop up and suck out the child in the womb, and dispose of the parts in whatever way the abortionist found to be most convenient and profitable. It was *never* a Constitutional right, and it isn’t now.

    • @GermanL: Roe v. Wade repeal does not prohibit abortions, it sends the issue back to individual states where it belonged constitutionally. And may cut federal money to industrialized abortion factories such as “planned” “parenthood”, as Alex noticed, but I doubt it given all the loopholes so-called “liberals” create in US laws and regulations.

    • > absolutely ZERO restrictions up until the moment of birth, even on viable pregnancies

      You’re a liar.

    • baz: What is the practical restriction in the Maskachusetts law, which presumably is a good guide to what Democrats think is reasonable (since Republicans have no power in the MA legislature).

      https://www.mass.gov/info-details/mass-general-laws-c112-ss-12n

      If a pregnancy has existed for 24 weeks or more, no abortion may be performed except by a physician and only if it is necessary, in the best medical judgment of the physician, to preserve the life of the patient, if it is necessary, in the best medical judgment of the physician, to preserve the patient’s physical or mental health or, in the best medical judgment of the physician, an abortion is warranted because of a lethal fetal anomaly or the fetus is incompatible with sustained life outside the uterus.

    • > necessary, in the best medical judgment of the physician

      Isn’t a restriction? Do you reckon physicians just go around making questionable decisions, opening themselves up to malpractice lawsuits? Is it your opinion a woman must carry to term even if it recklessly endangers her own life?

      Not sure why so many Republicans are in favour of rapists having more babies…

    • baz: Do physicians make questionable decisions? Exhibit A: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_W._Malone who suggested that COVID-19 vaccines be given to old people, not to young people. Exhibit B: the thousands of physicians who said that young people should not be locked down and old people could hide during peak infection waves if they wanted to ( https://gbdeclaration.org/view-signatures/ ). Exhibit C: an Oregon doctor who said that masks were bad, https://www.webmd.com/lung/news/20210920/doctor-who-claimed-masks-hurt-health-loses-license

      I hope that you’re not going to defend any of the above docs.

      “to preserve the patient’s physical or mental health” seems broad enough to me to justify almost any abortion. Americans are in poor mental health to begin with and having a child around the house tends to make matters worse.

    • philg: I do not know if these numbers can be trusted, but they report 10 total abortions after 24 weeks in Maskachusetts in 2019:

      Seventy-one percent of Massachusetts abortions were performed at eight weeks of gestation or earlier, and a fifth occurred between nine and 12 weeks. Seven percent of the abortions were reported between 13 and 18 weeks of gestation, and two percent were performed between 19 and 23 weeks. Ten abortions were performed at 24 weeks of gestation or later.

      That would indicate to me that a) these were serious medical issues and b) that most women with serious medical issues do not even use this option.

      I find 24 weeks for general abortions too high. I think 12 weeks is a good compromise. A lower number or a complete ban would drive women to dangerous procedures performed by amateurs (there has always been abortion even under theocracies).

    • There is a law that requires the public health bureaucrats in MA to collect abortion data, but I couldn’t find any law that requires people who perform abortions (not to say “abortionists” because that is hate speech) to make reports. See https://www.mass.gov/info-details/mass-general-laws-c112-ss-12q

      In https://twitter.com/Surgeon_General/status/1521497100961333249 Dr. Vivek Murthy says “Reproductive health decisions should be made between a patient and their doctor. Full stop.” So our top public health official suggests that an abortion is a purely private matter between doctor and his/her/zir/their pregnant patient. Why should a report be made after a private encounter between the potential birthing person and his/her/zir/their abortion provider?

    • @baz: I am not a liar. I have it on very good authority from a person I spent eight years of my life living with and who is now a “doctor of psychology.” She wanted NO restrictions whatsoever, including for minors! And she stood ready as a referral therapist to certify that any woman who wanted an abortion for “mental health” reasons could receive one from her.

      I also worked with a prominent physician who was very influential in Illinois and we had several conversations about it. In her view it was purely a “medical procedure” and if a physician (which includes Psychiatrists – they are MDs) signed off on it for “mental health” reasons, it was a medical procedure and that was THAT.

      Your problem is that you’ve never met any really hard core abortion activists. I lived with one.

  11. When will we see “I don’t care about BLM” (TM) emoji?!

    Or are we waiting on Toucan Sam to release his TM on the emoji for this to happen?

  12. Regarding the leak draft from the Supreme Court about Roe vs. Wade, I’m glad to see this finally being reversed. The original ruling was wrong to start with.

    Matters like this should not be at Federal level. Why should State A, that may not agree with subject A be forced to support and pay for said subject that State B wants? Decisions like this are to be made at State level.

    Some examples, if State A requires certain tests or enforces a jail fine for certain traffic violation, then that’s their right. If State A requires that companies give their employer 2 months vacation a year, then that’s their right. If State A provides life long housing for anyone regardless of income then that’s their right.

    If you are not happy with State A, move to State B that will make you happy. This is a free country after all and I’m glad to see that it is still, more or less, a free country.

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