Transgender couple in Ecuador claim to be first to give birth to own child

A transgender man gave birth to a baby that was conceived with his transgender partner. Neither of them had gender reassignment surgery so the pregnancy did not require any medical intervention.

Fernando Machado, who was born as a woman in Venezuela, and Diane Rodriguez, born a man, are one of the most famous transgender couples in South America. Rodriguez met Machado while browsing through profiles on a social networking site in 2013. Together, they are seen as a symbol of growing tolerance for transgenders.

"I was on a bus to Ecuador days after we started chatting online," Fernando recalled. "After three weeks living together, I was pregnant," he added.

Machado gave birth to the baby last June but they have not yet named the child.

"We don't have a name yet - or rather we do - we are just waiting to announce it," Rodriguez told the BBC.

During the pregnancy, the couple admitted that the process had been complex for both of them. Rodriguez stated that there was no legal or biological barriers against having the baby so they decided to do it.

"Knowing it's our right, we decided to add another member to our family," she added.

Machado's family has been supportive of his transition but Rodriguez was shunned by her family, forcing her to live in the streets.

Rodriguez was the first transgender to run for congress in the 2013 Ecuador elections but she was not successful. She is set to run for office again in 2017.

She has been criticized by LGBT groups for her cozy relationship with Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa who has made remarks critical of transgenders in the past.

"That natural men and women don't exist, that biological sex does not determine man or woman, but 'social conditions' do, and that one has a right to choose if one is a man or a woman. Please! Come on! This won't live up even to a minor analysis!" the president reportedly said in 2013.