In a milestone for India, a transgender couple has become the first to become biological parents. The birth of the child is a landmark moment in the South Asian nation, where despite being officially recognized as a “third gender” since 2014, transgender people continue to face discrimination and stigma.
Both partners, Ziya Paval and Zahad, were undergoing hormonal therapy to change their sex when they conceived. Zahad gave birth at a government hospital on Wednesday and is currently under observation in the hospital’s intensive care unit. Paval says the child is “perfectly fine” and “no problems physically or mentally.”
Zahad is 23 and Paval 21, and they declined to disclose the gender of the child.