Category: Gay Parenting

Gay Parenting, Same Sex, UK

TOM DALEY ON BECOMING A DAD, PREJUDICE AND WHY UK SURROGACY LAWS NEED TO CHANGE

Intended Parents

Source Independent

Tom Daley is sitting on a sofa in a central London hotel suite with his husband, Dustin Lance Black, while their seven-week-old baby, Robbie Ray, snoozes peacefully beside them – and it’s clear the new fathers (both dressed in baby blue) are entirely besotted with their son.

“We don’t ever turn on a TV anymore, we just stare at the little one,” Daley, 24, tells The Independent. “It’s been so crazy. It feels kind of surreal still, the fact that we have a…”
He stops mid-sentence to coo at baby Robbie, which I soon realise is to become a regular occurrence during our interview.

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Gay Parenting, Surrogate Mother

Gay couple who used their best friend as a surrogate say they’ve learned to ignore the ‘weird stares’ their family gets – and reveal their daughter, three, feels ‘lucky’ to have two dads

Intended Parents

Source Daily Mail

Robert Young, 31, from Newcastle, spent years anguishing over whether he should become a parent alone using a surrogate but decided that the process would prove too expensive.

However, when his friend, Emma, offered to give birth to a child using a donated egg and his sperm, he decided to go ahead – just months before meeting his partner Samuel Spiers, 28, also from Newcastle, on Tinder.

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Gay Parenting, LGBTQ Parental Rights, Same Sex

A Historic Day for Surrogacy in the District of Columbia

Intended Parents

Source Digital Journal

On June 15, 2018, Creative Family Connections LLC obtained the first ever Order of Parentage in a surrogacy case under the District of Columbia’s new Collaborative Reproduction statute, D.C. Code § 16-401 (2017), et. seq.

The Honorable Carol Dalton of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia granted two parentage orders for prospective parents who are expecting twins. She, therefore, granted one order pertaining to Baby Girl and one order pertaining to Baby Boy. The Intended Parents and the Gestational Carrier filed the petitions together as Joint Petitioners.

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Gay Parenting

The Steps To Becoming A Parent Through Surrogacy

Intended Parents

Source QNews

If you’re a gay couple and have made the decision to start a family but aren’t sure where to begin, Brisbane fertility speciality Dr Andy Stamatiou has the answers. Dr Stamatiou, from LGBTIQ-friendly fertility practice Genesis Women’s Health, shares the important steps you require to start your family-building journey.

There are three key elements you need to build a family: sperm, an egg and a surrogate to carry the pregnancy. Specialists can’t help you find a surrogate but we can provide advice and information.

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Gay Parenting, Same Sex, Surrogacy, Surrogate Mother

UK – ‘I wanted to give people the joy I have with my kids’: Selfless mother, 29, who was a surrogate for a same-sex couple, donates eggs to help childless people to become parents

Intended Parents

Source Daily Mail

A 29-year-old mother has spoken candidly about her gracious decision to help couples struggling to conceive by donating her eggs.

Cassie Lake, from Tinonee on the Mid North Coast of NSW, wanted to share the joys of parenthood after having a family of her own.

And so she started helping childless families by donating her eggs, and eventually, she went on to become a surrogate for a same-sex couple.
The idea to donate her eggs sprung into mind after she tragically suffered a miscarriage with her fourth baby at 10 weeks pregnant in 2015.

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Gay Parenting, Surrogacy

Julie Bindel: Gay men who use surrogacy: “Narcissistic, rich, racist, entitled pricks”

Intended Parents

Source The Gay UK

Julie Bindel, who writes for the Guardian, and New Statesman has hit out at gay men who use surrogacy to have their own, biological child. The columnist was commenting on an April Fool’s Joke about surrogacy by German LGBT+ website Queer.de.

The article, which has been apologised for, was a competition to give away an egg donation and to pay for the services of a surrogate mother in Bangkok worth €36,000.

Bindel has often spoken out about gay men using surrogate mothers in order to have children. In her latest social media outburst, she appeared to call gay men “Narcissistic, rich, racist, entitled pricks”.

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Gay Parenting, Same Sex, Surrogate Mother

UK – Devon couple reveal what it’s like to have a child via a surrogate as they await birth of son

Intended Parents

Source Devon Line

Surrogate dads Ben, right, and Darren Tudor-Green from Torquay

Awaiting the arrival of your first child is an anxious time for any parent but even more so for Darren and Ben Tudor-Green because their baby boy is being born via a surrogate.
Yesterday she began being induced so the couple have had to travel from their home in Torquay to Yorkshire where their 23-year-old surrogate lives. This afternoon, Sunday, she was in active labour.

Darren, a health care assistant, has spoken to DevonLive about the highs and lows of their surrogacy journey so far, and has given a revealing insight into what awaits fellow Devon surrogate gay dad-to-be Tom Daley.

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Gay Parenting, Gestational carrier agreements, Same Sex, Surrogacy, Surrogacy Law, surrogate children, Surrogate Mother, UK

UK government launches surrogacy guidance for gay parents after Tom Daley baby news

Intended Parents

Source PinkNews

Tom Daley and Dustin Lance Black

The UK government has said it “supports surrogacy” for “LGBT+ parents wanting to create a family”, issuing guidance on the issue for the first time after British Olympic diver Tom Daley announced he is expecting a child via surrogate.

Daley and husband Dustin Lance Black announced earlier this month that they are expecting their first child together. Though they have not spoken about their route to parenthood, it is believed the pair are using a surrogate, whose identity has not been made public.

Following the news, this week the UK government for the first time published guidance on surrogacy for prospective parents.

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Gay Parenting, Gestational surrogacy, Same Sex, Surrogacy, Surrogate Parents

These two gay papas are showing why gay surrogacy is beautiful

Intended Parents

Source GAY STAR NEWS

Meet Papas Manuel from Spain and Bud from New Jersey. Together they run the Two Gay Papas Instagram posting the most adorable family pictures with four-year-old Álvaro and two-year-old Carmen

With over 50K followers, we are not the only the only ones loving the adorable pictures they post.

Living in Spain where same-sex marriage has been legal since 2005, and the two dads have the kids through surrogacy.

The Two Gay Papas story starts as a blog in 2012 to chronicle their surrogacy journey. Now they use Instagram create positive stories about LGBT families with their day to day life.

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Gay Parenting, Same Sex, Surrogacy, Surrogate Mother

UK – Gay couple ‘have the right’ to use surrogate mother and want law change

Intended Parents

Source BBC News

Darren and Ben Tudor-Green with Darren’s mother at their wedding in October 2016

A married gay couple from Devon say they have the right to have a child of their own, “despite their sexuality”.

Darren and Ben Tudor-Green have been speaking out after Tom Daley and husband Dustin Lance Black received abuse after their baby announcement.

“Some people’s mentality leaves a lot to be desired,” said Darren. “This is about creating life. It shouldn’t matter what sexuality you are.”

The couple are using a surrogate mother called Mel from the north of England.

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Egg Donor, Gay Parenting, Same Sex, Surrogacy, Surrogate Mother

‘It’s such a crude and jarring process’: Gay couple reveals the REAL cost of having kids via surrogacy, detailing how they paid $171,000 to become parents to their twins

Intended Parents

Source: Daily Mail

A gay father of twins has revealed that he and his partner paid a total of $171,000 to have to have the children via a surrogate.

Speaking to The Cut as part of its How I Got This Baby series, a 36-year-old man named Brad from Indiana detailed the lengths he and his husband had to go to when they decided to have children.

Six months after they got married, the couple started the process of finding an egg donor even though Brad initially thought adoption was the only way he could even becoming a dad.

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Gay Parenting, intended parents, Law, Parental rights, Same Sex, Surrogacy, Surrogacy Law, Surrogate Mother

New Uniform Parentage Act Becomes Law in Washington State

Intended Parents

Source: The Humanist

Earlier this week, Governor Jay Inslee of Washington signed into law an updated version of the state’s Uniform Parentage Act. Written to safeguard the rights of LGBTQ and non-biological parents, the new law defines a “de facto” parent as well as allows compensation beyond medical and other expenses for surrogate mothers.

According to the law’s sponsor, state Senator Jamie Pedersen, who has four children with his husband conceived through surrogacy, the bill will help parents who want to have a child through surrogacy at home in Washington State, rather than leaving the state. (Pedersen and his husband had their children in California where compensated surrogacy is already allowed.)

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Gay Parenting, intended parents, Same Sex, surrogate children, Surrogate Mother

Unregulated Surrogacy Poses Risks for LGBT Couples, Warns Global Consultant

Intended Parents

Source: Vision PRWeb

Sensible Surrogacy Founder, Bill Houghton, with his surrogacy family

Same-sex couples who are considering gay surrogacy to conceive their families should examine the serious risks of unregulated programs overseas, said Bill Houghton, founder of the Sensible Surrogacy Guide.

As same-sex couples increasingly look for options to conceive children, many are choosing programs in countries without basic protections, according to Bill Houghton, founder of the Sensible Surrogacy Guide. Some destinations popular with gay couples have no specific legislation on surrogacy. This opens the door to unregulated programs with serious risks.

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Gay Parenting, Gestational surrogacy, intended parents, Same Sex, Surrogacy, Surrogacy Law, Surrogate Mother

Fertility options for the LGBT community

Intended Parents

Source: Out In Jersey

Dr. Dan Kaser at RMANJ

LGBT people have gradually stepped out from shadows over the last 50 years, not only transforming our own lives, but those of our families and communities. A generation or two ago, the children we raised were born of previous heterosexual relationships. This began to change in the 1970s and ‘80s, aided by helpful court rulings that reflected cultural sea change in attitudes toward gay people in general. In 1997, New Jersey became the first state to allow same-sex couples to adopt jointly.

Adoption, artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization and surrogacy are now viable avenues available for LGBT individuals and couples. Ultimately, the choice of how to build your family (adoption vs. fertility treatment) is a personal decision based on many factors. Those who seek help from assisted reproductive technologies want to have children with whom they share a genetic connection. What is this path like?

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Gay baby boom, Gay Parenting, Same Sex, Surrogacy, Surrogate Mother

Gay Baby Boom Part 1 : Connecticut fertility clinics see increase in same-sex couples

Intended Parents

Source: News 8

NORWALK, Conn. (WTNH) — Marriage equality has given more same-sex couples confidence to start a family – making local fertility clinics busier than ever. News 8’s Connecticut Families begins a two part look at what’s being called a Gay Baby Boom.

“Someone’s sexuality doesn’t necessarily come into playing regards to their desire to be a parent,” says Dr. Mark Leondires.

Suddenly, 60% of his clients are prospective parents who are gay, many of them male couples.

“For a long time, being a LBGT, we worried about safety,” he explains. “Now, with almost a stamp of validation from our Supreme Court, there’s a sense of safety and you feel like you’re family is going to be safe, as well.”

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Gay baby boom, Gay Parenting, Same Sex, Surrogacy, Surrogate Mother

Gay Baby Boom Part 2: A Westport couple shares their personal fertility journey

Intended Parents

Source: News 8

NORWALK, Conn. (WTNH)–Marriage equality has given more same-sex couples the confidence to start a family, making local fertility clinics busier than ever. It’s being called a Gay Baby Boom. In Part 2 of a special series, News 8 introduces viewers to a Westport couple, sharing their personal journey to have kids.

“It was something I always did want but didn’t think it was in my realm of possibilities,” says Greg Zola. As a young, gay man, he wasn’t sure he could realize his dream of becoming a parent.

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Gay Parenting, Gestational surrogacy, Hysterectomy, Infertility, intended parents, Same Sex, Surrogacy, Surrogate Mother

Using a Surrogate

Intended Parents

Source: WINFertility

What You Need to Know

There are several reasons to consider using a surrogate to bear your child. Male same-sex couples who want to have a biological child often use a surrogate. Some women are unable to carry and bear a child due to cancer treatment, genetic conditions, having had a hysterectomy, or medical conditions that make it dangerous for them to get pregnant. Sometimes couples use a surrogate when other fertility treatments have not been successful for them or there are problems with the female partner’s uterus. You may have heard of celebrity couples who have used surrogates, such as Jimmy Fallon and his wife Nancy Juvonen, and Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick. Here are some facts you need to know before you start on your journey to a family with a surrogate.

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Donor Eggs, Donor Embryos, Egg Donation, Egg Donor, Embryo, Gay Parenting, Gestational surrogacy, Same Sex, Surrogacy, Surrogate Mother

3 Questions Queer People Should Ask Before Growing Our Families

Intended Parents

Source: Forbes

Traditional methods aren’t typically available for queer people to grow their families, and growing families non-traditionally can be expensive. What are the options and costs for queer couples and individuals to consider when family planning?

3 Questions Queer People Should Ask Before Growing Our Families – photo by Shutterstock

The cost to raise a child from birth to 18 years old, not including family planning or college, is estimated by the USDA to be about $245,340. For many LGBT families, this is the minimum cost. This is why lack of financial planning when family planning could put queer families at financial risk.

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Gay Parenting, Law, Same Sex

For 3rd Time, ‘Presumption of Legitimacy’ for Same-Sex Couples Recognized

Intended Parents

Source: New York Law Journal

A state appeals court in Brooklyn on Wednesday recognized the “presumption of legitimacy”—that a child born during a marriage is presumed to be the two spouses’ child—for a same-sex married couple that had been fighting to stop a male sperm donor from asserting parental rights to their daughter.

The ruling is the third time in the last five months that a state appeals court has made clear that New York’s family law presumption of legitimacy applies to same-sex couples—just as it does to heterosexual couples.

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Egg Donor, Embryo, Gay Parenting, Same Sex, Surrogacy

Gay couples find path to parenthood at Greenwich Hospital

Intended Parents

Source: Greenwich Time

Douglas Graneto (left) and Wear Culvahouse (right) with their 8-year-old daughter Katie (middle).

GREENWICH — When Wear Culvahouse, a Greenwich obstetrician-gynecologist, delivered a baby for the first male same-sex parents at Greenwich Hospital in 2004, he saw doors opening for himself as well.

The team assembled to to help the male couple included personnel from labor and delivery, the nursery and administration. They set up two rooms at Greenwich Hospital: One for the new fathers to learn how to bathe, feed and change their baby, and one for their surrogate to recover.

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