Kayden Coleman

Kayden Coleman
Born: July 5, 1986
Nationality: American
Occupation: Advocate, Educator, Speaker, Social Media Influencer
Known For: Transgender pregnancy advocacy, educational workshops, LGBTQ+ visibility
Other Names: Papa Seahorse
Partner: Dominique Glinton
Children: Azaelia Skye (b. 2014), Jurnee Solé (b. 2020)

Early Life

Kayden Coleman was born on July 5, 1986. He is of Jamaican and African American descent. Assigned female at birth, Coleman experienced gender dysphoria from an early age and never felt comfortable with societal expectations placed on girls and women. Growing up, he did not imagine having a family or becoming a parent. He often wondered what children of his might look like, but never truly saw parenthood in his future.

In his childhood and teen years, Coleman lacked exposure to trans-affirming narratives, particularly around birth and family. He was raised in environments where birth workers like doulas were virtually unheard of. These cultural gaps and societal pressures contributed to a sense of alienation, though he would later come to find strength in his identity and experience.

Coleman’s early life was also marked by the intersectional challenges of being Black, queer, and later openly transgender. These formative experiences would shape his understanding of systemic inequality and fuel his future advocacy. His eventual realization and embrace of his identity as a Black, gay, transgender man laid the foundation for his personal transformation and public role in transmasculine birth justice.

Health and Transition

Kayden Coleman began testosterone therapy in January 2009, beginning a new chapter in his gender transition journey. In March 2013, he underwent top surgery, a medically necessary procedure for many transmasculine individuals seeking gender affirmation. While it is common practice for some surgeons to require a temporary pause in testosterone therapy before surgery due to outdated medical protocols or concerns about healing, Coleman has since emphasized that stopping hormones is not universally necessary. In his case, the pause led to an unexpected pregnancy, highlighting how misinformation and outdated medical practices can result in serious consequences for trans patients. During this period, Coleman became pregnant unexpectedly, a result of the common misconception, even among medical professionals, that long-term testosterone use guarantees infertility.

Despite seeing doctors for symptoms like extreme fatigue, weight gain, and frequent urination, Coleman was never offered a pregnancy test. He discovered his pregnancy at five and a half months gestation on his own. His story highlights a gap in care, even within LGBTQ+ clinics, where transmasculine patients are often overlooked in reproductive health assessments.

Coleman gave birth to his first daughter, Azaelia Skye, in January 2014. The birth was deeply traumatic. He had requested a cesarean section, explaining that a vaginal birth would be physically and psychologically distressing. His request was denied. He endured five days of forced labor induction, confined to bed on a magnesium drip, unable to eat or move. The hospital was a teaching institution, and students frequently entered his room without consent. Feeling stripped of autonomy and dignity, Coleman had a breakdown and demanded the C-section. Only then did medical staff comply.

This trauma contributed to severe postpartum depression, anxiety, and PTSD. He struggled to bond with his newborn and found little professional support. His healing began when queer birth workers and doulas stepped in, helping him understand and process his experiences. Their care and validation marked a turning point in his recovery.

In 2020, Coleman became pregnant again. This time he was better prepared. He advocated for his rights from the start and demanded respectful care. He chose to deliver via C-section again, this time on his own terms. Despite the limitations imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, he experienced skin-to-skin contact and avoided postpartum depression, a stark contrast to his first experience.

Both pregnancies were complicated by preeclampsia, and he was diagnosed with sleep apnea during the first. In November 2021, he was diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma, a form of kidney cancer. He has been open about the challenges of managing this illness while parenting.

Coleman has not pursued bottom surgery, citing financial, medical, and personal reasons. He has expressed that genital surgery is not necessary for him to feel complete in his identity. His story emphasizes that every trans journey is unique and that autonomy and access to affirming care should be the foundation of all medical decision-making.

Career and Activism

Coleman is a nationally recognized LGBTQ+ rights advocate focusing on transmasculine reproductive justice, public education, and health care equity. Known online as “Papa Seahorse,” he uses his platform to normalize the concept of pregnancy and parenthood among trans men and nonbinary people. The seahorse metaphor, referencing male seahorses who carry pregnancies, reflects his mission to break societal assumptions about gender roles and family structures.

Coleman provides educational workshops, public speaking engagements, and consulting services to medical professionals, hospital systems, nonprofit organizations, and individual providers. His trainings include sensitivity education, inclusive language practices, and strategies for creating safer and more affirming spaces for transgender and nonbinary people navigating fertility, pregnancy, birth, and postpartum experiences.

His work gained national attention after his birth stories went viral in 2015 and again in 2020. These viral moments led to appearances on the TODAY Show, features in USA Today, Out Magazine, Metro UK, Insider, and a widely praised Lexus commercial titled “The Evolution of Family,” which he filmed with his partner Dominique Glinton. Coleman has since become one of the most visible Black trans fathers in public media.

In 2021, he was honored by Out Magazine as an Out100 recipient, recognizing his influence and contributions to LGBTQ+ visibility. In addition to public-facing work, Coleman also offers one-on-one consulting, educational videos, and online resources through his brand and online presence.

He is frequently vocal about the racism, transphobia, and medical neglect he has experienced and witnessed, especially in maternal care. He shares that he was pressured by medical providers to consider abortion and repeatedly misgendered or excluded from birthing spaces labeled exclusively for women. These experiences motivate his calls for radical change in both practice and policy.

In response to these injustices, Coleman launched Papa Seahorse Apparel to fund his advocacy, created accessible resources for transmasculine parents, and organized peer support efforts for pregnant and postpartum trans people. He regularly amplifies community voices and advocates for inclusive care that acknowledges intersecting oppressions such as race, gender identity, and socioeconomic status.

Coleman’s message remains consistent: trans people have always existed, always given birth, and deserve full dignity in every space they enter. He continues to challenge the medical-industrial complex, center lived experience and provide tools for dismantling cisnormativity in birth work.

Personal Life

Coleman married his first husband, Elijah, in 2013. Their daughter Azaelia Skye was born on January 9, 2014. The pregnancy was unexpected, and the emotional toll of a traumatic birth experience placed strain on their relationship. After their separation, Coleman continued to raise Azaelia as a single father until entering a new relationship with Dominique Glinton.

Kayden and Dominique met through an online queer dating platform. Their connection deepened over shared values, mutual support, and a commitment to building a family together. In early 2020, Coleman announced his second pregnancy, and in July of that year, the couple welcomed their daughter Jurnee Solé. Though this pregnancy also involved preeclampsia and a cesarean birth, Kayden entered the experience with stronger support systems, clearer boundaries, and a greater sense of self-advocacy.

Together, Kayden and Dominique raise their daughters in a loving, affirming, and visibility-driven environment. Their parenting philosophy emphasizes emotional validation, Black joy, and pride in their queer and trans family structure. Kayden often shares personal moments of parenting online, offering representation for transmasculine parents and same-gender Black couples. He is open about the challenges of being targeted by transphobic hate, particularly after his pregnancy photos circulated widely online, but he has also received widespread support and built strong community connections through his vulnerability and honesty.

In addition to parenting and advocacy, Coleman enjoys cooking and baking, especially during quiet family moments. During his second pregnancy, he found joy in preparing meals and treats while isolated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He has credited these moments of creativity and togetherness as essential to maintaining emotional balance during stressful times.

Experiences with Healthcare

Kayden Coleman’s experiences navigating the U.S. healthcare system as a Black, gay, transgender man have been central to his activism. His first pregnancy in 2013, while living in Philadelphia, was marked by systemic failures in reproductive health care. Despite frequent medical visits for symptoms such as fatigue, frequent urination, and abdominal changes, none of his providers, one of whom was also a transgender man, suggested a pregnancy test. He eventually discovered on his own that he was five and a half months pregnant, after noticing physical changes. This reflected a profound lack of competency and awareness among medical professionals regarding the reproductive possibilities and needs of transmasculine patients.

After confirming the pregnancy, Coleman was referred to an OB-GYN with no training in trans-inclusive care. Throughout his prenatal care, he was misgendered, subjected to inappropriate remarks, and made to feel like a spectacle. When he requested a C-section due to emotional and physical dysphoria, he was denied. Hospital staff told him that women on the floor were encouraged to give birth naturally, disregarding his identity and explicit distress.

Diagnosed with preeclampsia, Coleman was admitted and placed on a magnesium drip, unable to eat or move for five days while labor was unsuccessfully induced. As the hospital was a teaching institution, groups of students entered his room repeatedly without consent. At one point, overwhelmed and exhausted, he undressed in front of them out of frustration. He had not slept or eaten, and his medical needs were ignored until he issued an ultimatum, perform the C-section or he would do it himself. Only then did the medical team act. Although his daughter was delivered safely, he was not immediately allowed to see her. This separation contributed to severe postpartum depression and PTSD.

His postpartum support from professionals was minimal to nonexistent. Healing began only after two birth workers visited him at home and validated what he was experiencing. Their presence introduced him to the world of doula and birth work and was a turning point in his recovery.

His second pregnancy in 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City, came with new challenges but a different outcome. Still facing preeclampsia, he required another C-section. This time, however, Coleman had prepared. He contacted clinics on his own and was met with kindness by an intake worker named Sophie, who respectfully affirmed his identity without hesitation. While some providers were still not trans-competent and referred him to a perinatal center with even worse care, Coleman remained assertive.

Due to pandemic restrictions, a doula could not be physically present, but Coleman received online support from a network of birth workers, including the Instagram account Badass Mother Birther. These doulas flooded him with information and emotional support in the weeks leading up to birth. Empowered, he entered the hospital with clearly defined expectations. He demanded correct pronoun use, respectful care, and immediate skin-to-skin contact with his baby. His requests were met, and unlike his first birth, he did not experience postpartum depression or PTSD.

These contrasting experiences solidified Coleman’s belief in the power of community, education, informed consent, and doula support. He has been outspoken about the transphobia and racism he faced, including pressure to consider abortion and exclusion from prenatal classes labeled for women only.

He emphasizes the glaring absence of research on transmasculine pregnancy, particularly for Black trans people, and advocates for structural change. Coleman’s trauma became the foundation for his advocacy. By telling his story and offering tools and resources, he helps others demand safe, respectful, and affirming reproductive care.

Legacy and Impact

Kayden Coleman’s legacy lies in his refusal to remain silent in the face of systemic injustice. As one of the most visible Black trans fathers in the public eye, he has helped shift conversations around reproductive justice, queerness, and parenting. His candid storytelling, vulnerability, and education efforts have empowered countless transmasculine individuals to reclaim space in healthcare, birth work, and family narratives.

By openly documenting both trauma and joy, Coleman has humanized the trans birthing experience in ways rarely seen in mainstream media. His visibility has challenged public misconceptions and forced broader awareness about the realities of transmasculine pregnancy, particularly for those who are also Black, poor, or medically underserved.

Through his public platforms, workshops, and appearances, he has created educational and emotional blueprints for others navigating similar paths. His contributions have not only changed how medical professionals approach gender-diverse care, but also inspired more inclusive policies in birth work, social services, and parenting communities.

Coleman’s work continues to ripple outward through his consulting, apparel brand, and advocacy, ensuring that future generations of trans parents feel seen, supported, and celebrated. His impact is evident in every conversation now taking place in hospitals, clinics, and classrooms about trans birth equity. He has become a symbol of strength, survival, and change.

Online Presence

Kayden Coleman maintains a robust online presence where he shares educational content, personal reflections, and updates on his advocacy work. He is most widely recognized under the handle “Papa Seahorse,” a nod to the male seahorse’s role in pregnancy and parenting. His social media channels serve as both educational platforms and community hubs for transmasculine parents and allies.

Coleman is active on:

Instagram: @kcolemantheguy – where he posts parenting updates, advocacy messages, and collaborative campaigns with queer birth workers and brands

TikTok: @papa.seahorse – where he offers quick educational videos, reactions to news, and shares humorous takes on parenthood and trans identity

YouTube: He has appeared in various features and interviews, including branded projects and docuseries about LGBTQ+ families

Personal website: https://www.kaydenxcoleman.com – where he provides booking info, advocacy materials, and resources for healthcare professionals.

He also uses these platforms to promote his apparel line, Papa Seahorse Apparel, which supports his advocacy and features affirming slogans and designs centered around trans visibility, parenthood, and empowerment.

Coleman’s transparency about the challenges and joys of trans fatherhood has helped him cultivate a loyal following and significantly expand public understanding of transmasculine experiences. His online presence is not only personal, but a powerful vehicle for structural change.

Media Appearances and Recognition

Kayden Coleman has been widely recognized in national and international media for his advocacy, public storytelling, and work around transmasculine pregnancy. His viral posts in 2015 and 2020 sparked widespread public conversations and led to numerous media invitations and features.

He has appeared on:

TODAY Show – Sharing his birth experiences and educating a national audience about trans pregnancy

USA Today – Featured in articles addressing healthcare barriers for trans people

Out Magazine – Named to the 2021 Out100 list for his contributions to LGBTQ+ advocacy

Metro UK and Insider – Highlighted for his role as a vocal and visible Black trans father

Parents.com and other parenting-focused outlets – Sharing his journey and resources for inclusive family care

In 2022, Coleman and his partner Dominique appeared in the Lexus commercial “The Evolution of Family,” part of a campaign showcasing diverse modern families. The ad was praised for its authentic representation and emotional storytelling.

He has also been a guest on numerous podcasts, online panels, webinars, and educational conferences, often speaking on the intersections of race, gender, healthcare, and parenthood. His digital presence and public voice have helped shape mainstream conversations around reproductive justice and gender-inclusive care.

His work has been cited by academic journals, birth advocacy groups, and medical institutions working to improve care standards for trans and nonbinary patients.

Coleman’s media presence continues to serve as a touchstone for representation, helping to normalize and humanize the experiences of trans parents and advocating for safer, more inclusive futures.

Notable Quotes

“Our birthright is to have equitable, inclusive, compassionate care as birthing people, not just throughout our pregnancy, but afterwards as well.”

“You are valid. You got this.”

“I didn’t feel like I had autonomy over my own body and experience.”

“I walked in there armed with all of this information. Doulas basically saved my life.”

“I’ve had just the right amount of trauma to where it can really change some lives.”

Sources