Aydian Dowling on fatherhood

Up Next

Now Playing

8:26

BARE by Giddy

Shane Drake on overcoming drug addiction

Now Playing

7:16

BARE by Giddy

Aydian Dowling on sexual health and intimacy as a transgender man

Now Playing

7:10

BARE by Giddy

Johnny Bananas on the 'transactional' nature of modern dating

Now Playing

9:18

BARE by Giddy

Keauno Perez on his experience coming out as a gay man in Texas

Now Playing

4:00

BARE by Giddy

Live during SXSW: Ashley Greene Khoury and Olivia Khoury discuss reproductive dysfunction

Now Playing

09:55

BARE by Giddy

Angel Arkangel Flores on identity, sexual health and 'Queer Eye'

Now Playing

4:02

BARE by Giddy

The Best of BARE by Giddy

Now Playing

8:26

BARE by Giddy

Katie Haan on peer-led sex education and how to be an ally to the queer community

Now Playing

9:39

BARE by Giddy

Gino Cafarelli on parenting a child with hearing loss and dating as a single father

Now Playing

11:00

BARE by Giddy

BJ Courville on the #FreeBritney movement, bodily autonomy and living with autism

Now Playing

19:20

BARE by Giddy

Susan Holmes McKagan on her modeling career, marriage and parenting style

Now Playing

9:31

BARE by Giddy

Chris Reid on Kid 'n Play fame, getting older and what his life is like today

Now Playing

8:43

BARE by Giddy

Pamela Des Barres on sexual stigma, feminism and the rock 'n' roll life

Now Playing

BARE by Giddy

Jessica Hall on sex positivity, a miscarriage and breastfeeding

Now Playing

6:41

BARE by Giddy

Nikki Lund on overcoming an eating disorder and her evolving sexuality

Now Playing

5:53

BARE by Giddy

Sean Stewart talks about aging and changes to his sex life

Now Playing

7:07

BARE by Giddy

Ryan McPartlin on marriage, parenting and a healthy lifestyle

Now Playing

7:13

BARE by Giddy

AnnaLynne McCord on recovering from sexual trauma

Now Playing

6:13

BARE by Giddy

Tom Arnold on parenting, childhood sexual abuse and addiction

Now Playing

06:37

BARE by Giddy

Jillian Barberie on breast cancer, depression and sexual abuse

Now Playing

7:52

BARE by Giddy

Gretchen Rossi on infertility, IVF and vasectomy reversals

Now Playing

08:35

BARE by Giddy

Rachel McCord on pandemic pregnancy and postpartum anxiety

BARE by Giddy

Aydian Dowling on fatherhood

Transgender activist and fitness coach Aydian Dowling sits down with Giddy's Briona Jenkins to discuss the joy of being a father.

Featured: Aydian Dowling, Bri Jenkins

Released: May 16th, 2022

More about this episode

A Conversation with Aydian Dowling

In this one-on-one conversation with Giddy's Briona Jenkins, transgender activist and fitness coach Aydian Dowling discusses the joy of fatherhood.

Aydian says he did not think having a family was in the cards for him, because he was told children weren't possible during his transitioning period. Aydian also feared he wouldn't have a connection with his kids if he did not give birth to them.

Over time, Aydian realized that genetics were not important and decided it was time for him and his wife to grow their family. Now, he's taking on the most rewarding experience of his life: fatherhood.

Transcript

Bri Jenkins:

I think as someone who's gotten to watch your journey of fatherhood and how much being a dad has meant to you, what has that journey been like for you as a person who never thought you'd get here? You now have a partner and a baby, and it's just an experience.

Aydian Dowling:

The fucking dream. It really is. Like, I feel really, really blessed and grateful that I have a partner who loves me and wanted to build a family with me. And I always wanted a family and when I transitioned, they tell you right away, which is untrue for those who need to hear that, it's untrue, but they imbed in you that you won't be able to have kids.

And so I immediately was like, OK, well, I won't have kids, like physical, within my body. Like I won't be having a baby. And it kind of took that—I thought that I wouldn't be connected to my kid if I didn't birth them, you know? And so, like, it just doesn't fucking matter. It just really—you know, it just doesn't matter about the genetics of my child like, and that was a lot of processing to get through. But yeah, fatherhood is awesome.

BJ:

After getting to know you and knowing all of your hard work, there is one thing we haven't talked about and that's your other child, Point of Pride.

AD:

Yes.

BJ:

And I would love to know more about that.

AD:

Yeah. I've tried to fact check myself, it's kind of hard to find, but I'm pretty confident we can say we are the largest 100% trans volunteer run nonprofit for trans and non-binary folks in the world.

BJ:

Love it.

AD:

Yeah.

BJ:

My final question for you today is, what makes you giddy?

AD:

What makes me giddy? OK. The—[laughs] So what makes me giddy is long legs. There was a number one attraction to my wife, just like nice long legs. Like, that will get your boy giddy. Is that what you were thinking?

BJ:

I was not.

AD:

[laughs]

BJ:

But now that I-- now that I know, and I know your wife and how tall she is and she does have long legs—

AD:

It makes sense.

BJ:

—that makes sense. Mm-hmm.

AD:

Yeah, you're like, ah, I get it.