AJ was born a woman and struggled with his sexuality from a young age. Initially identifying as gay, it wasn’t until later in life he came to the realisation he was a transgender man and made the decision to transition

Kearns and his now ex-partner Zu White were married in a commitment ceremony in 2009, the same year Zu gave birth to their son, Jasper

Zu experienced complications during the pregnancy, so when the time came for the couple to have another child, the best option was for AJ, who was identifying as a man but had not yet completed his physical transition, to carry the child. He says participating in “such an exclusively female activity”, and using features of the body he had grown to detest was difficult for a man who had so hated being thought of as a woman. “I had a fairly large disconnect with my physical form, I sort of looked at it as a third party,” he says. “I’ve never been a woman but I was raised and socialised as one, and although I found the whole thing fascinating, it was hard too, it was like a constant reminder. “I felt like I’d become invisible and I couldn’t see me for the man that I was.” AJ says when he gave birth it was “the most incredible thing” and, after a problem-free pregnancy, meeting healthy baby Luca was an extraordinary moment. But it wasn’t just the thrill of welcoming a new life into the world that was significant for AJ — it meant he could continue his journey to truly becoming