“I will become a proud father that day."
A transgender couple from Kerala’s Kozhikode is set to embark on a new journey after Sahad Paval halted his transitioning process to get pregnant.
Sahad was born a female and is currently in the process of transitioning into a male.
Meanwhile, Ziya was born a male and transitioned into a female.
The couple are now expecting their first child in March 2023, which is reportedly a first among the transgender community in India.
Sahad and Ziya have been living together for the past three years.
Ziya explained that they wanted to have a child because they wanted their lives to be different from other transgender people.
Ziya, who is a classical dance teacher, said:
“When we started to live together three years ago, we thought our life should be different from other transgenders.
“Most couples are boycotted by society as well as their respective families.
“We wanted a baby so that there is a person even after our days in this world.”
Ziya stated that they came to a decision to have a child after much deliberation.
As part of their transitioning process, both underwent hormone therapy.
Sahad’s breasts were removed as part of the transitioning process but in order to have a child, he halted the process.
He ended up getting pregnant and after giving birth, he will resume his journey to becoming a man.
Ziya continued: “Our journey to become trans man and trans woman will continue. I am continuing my hormone treatment.
“Six months or a year after the delivery, Sahad will also resume treatment to become a trans man.”
Ziya explained that they received support from the doctors at the Government Medical College Hospital in Kozhikode, where Sahad is set to deliver their baby next month.
Ziya said: “Since Sahad has removed both breasts, we hope to feed the baby from the breast milk bank at the medical college.”
Sahad, who is originally from Thiruvananthapuram, works as an accountant but is currently on leave.
As they reached adulthood, Sahad and Ziya left their families when they became aware of their transgender identities.
On the baby’s arrival, Sahad said: “I will become a proud father that day. I will hand over the baby to its mother, Ziya. I am all excited for my life as a father,”