Daddy Squared: The Gay Dads Podcast

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Daddy Squared Around the World: Argentina Jun 07, 2021

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Daddy Squared: The Gay Dads Podcast looks at gay rights and fatherhood options in Argentina. We talked with Argentinian LGBT activist Pablo Fracchia to get a taste of what it’s like being a gay dad in Argentina, and researched options for gay men who want to become dads. Pablo Fracchia signed up to adopt a child in 2017, and after two long years of waiting he got a phone call from a family judge. The judge matched him with Mia, a little girl who suffered with a severe gastrointestinal condition, needed serious medical attention and her biological family was unable to provide it, so she was sent to an institution for children with health issues. Fracchia adopted her after she was living in the hospital for a year, alone. His story was told all over the world. ״It's been a crazy year," Pablo admits on Daddy Squared Podcast. "The article came out last year in Argentina for our Diverse Families Day, the newspaper wanted to make an article about diverse families, they contacted me and for the last year it's been crazy. "A lot of people contact me through social media and I'm trying to [answer all the questions about my story]. There's a lot of misconception about adoption in Argentina, about this process that used to be a very complex, but was simplified over the years so a lot of people ask me questions, I became some source of information and since I'm also a social worker and work on LGBT issues, to me it's a way of activism by itself to help people to achieve their parenting dreams." The most inspiring detail in Pablo's story was his decision to adopt a child as a single man, a decision that according to him wasn't easy to make. "The first thing I did when I decided to adopt on my own was to gather my family and tell them you know I'm making this life decision and I'm not going to be able to do it if you're not supporting me," Pablo tells us. "I needed to know that they were going to be by my side and of course they were absolutely on board. "I was thinking that it was time to break the idea that in order to have a kid you have to be in a relationship. I worked that with my therapist, and said ok let's do it." Despite the acceptance of the law in Argentina in regards to LGBT people, visibility of LGBT parents makes life for LGBT families in Argentina a lot better. People like trans actress Florencia De La V, gay dancer and TV Judge Flavio Mendoza, and trans comedienne Lizy Tagliani had famously have gone through surrogacy in the United States and are outspoken about their families. "In a way, traditional families are still a thing, even if statistic says that they are a minority," Pablo says. "40% of the families are traditional, the rest are a wide variety of combinations, so even if they are minority, representation is still a thing, and it matters a lot." Adoption for Gay Dads in Argentina Differently than other countries, in Argentina all of the adoption process is done through a family court. Depends on your province, you have to go to the justice system in your province. Print it and present it to family court to open the file process of interviews of social worker and psychologist the judge oks you to become a parent. According to Pablo, most often than not the process of adoption in Argentina is slowed down by a lot because of conditions intended parents have about what kind of child they'd like to adopt. "There's a difference between what adoptive parents are expecting and what kind of kids are in the system," he says. Surrogacy for Gay Dads in Argentina In Argentina there seems to be a legal vacuum in regards to surrogacy. It is not prohibited, but neither is it regulated. According to Argentinian Press the first the first gay couple to have a child by surrogacy in Argentina was in 2015. After the baby is born, it is discussed in court on who the legal parents are going to be. There are known surrogacy cases where the judge has decided against the intended parents after the child was born. Buenos Aires recommends that judicial authorization be carried out prior to starting the treatment. In August 2017, from a surrogacy case, we get a new judgment that warranty the filiación of any baby born in Ciudad de Buenos Aires from surrogacy, issuing the birth certificate with both parents (regardless family conformation) as a regular birth certificate. Anyone has a right to this, but the only restriction is that the baby must born in Ciudad de Buenos Aires CABA, for the rest of Argentina must go through legal procedures. [Thank you Federico from LGBT Argentinian Federation for this info!] Co-Parenting for Gay men in Argentina There's not much info about becoming gay dads through co-parenting in Argentina, however, co-parenting matchmaking websites from other countries allow Argentinian men to set up a profile and find co-parents in their area. Good examples for that are co-padres.net and coparentalys.com Men Having Babies On Surrogacy compensation: Our position is that contrary to what happens in Canada and the UK for example, that surrogate compensation should be something that we celebrate but also able to explain. We believe this is a restitution for the burden of pregnancy. A surrogate goes through some physical discomfort, the surrogacy and the pregnancy distrust their family lives and they are undertaking some risks. Those are burdains that should be compensated. This is not to mean that the surrogate works for us, it doesn't mean that she rents her womb, it doesn't mean that she gets paid x dollars per hour of carrying a baby and it certainly doesn't mean that she gets paid for the baby, and the compensations should be independent of whether there's a birth of a healthy child at the end. Our Guest: Pablo Fracchia Pablo is a prominent Argentinian gay activist and social worker. He has been working with the LGBTQ+ Federation of Argentina and is outspoken in the fight for human rights to establish marriage equality. He became famous in Argentina in a story that was republished all over the world, after he adopted a girl, Mia, who was living in a hospital for a year, as a single dad. Organizations Familias Diversas Argentinas Federación Argentina LGBT Gay Dads in Argentina: Related Articles and News Same-sex couple pushes to normalize surrogacy in Argentina (CNN, May 2025) Argentina’s Surrogacy Stalemate (Growing Families, 2024) Stories of men who are fathers thanks to surrogacy (La Nacion, 2019) Argentina registra por primera vez a hijo de madres homosexuales y padre biológico (Eluniverso, 2015) Episode Credits Co-Hosts: Yan Dekel, Alex MaghenGuest: Pablo FracchiaOpening Theme: Hercules & Love Affair, “Leonora” buy hereArticles Related to this episode:Hit it TikTokPablo's Choice for Argentinian Gay Icon: Moria Kasan Listen to previous seasons of Daddy SquaredJoin our Facebook groupConnect with us on Instagram

Daddy Squared Around the World: United Kingdom Jun 01, 2021

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Daddy Squared: The Gay Dads Podcast looks at gay rights and fatherhood options in the UK. We talked with Brit actor Charlie Condou to get a taste of what it’s like being a gay dad in the UK, and researched options for gay men who want to become dads. The number of gay dads in the UK is increasing. Many gay men are exploring parenting options, and to make things easier, Alex and Yan have called for the help of actor Charlie Condou who has been outspoken about his life as a gay man and as a parent. "Things are certainly better than they were when I was a young man," actor Charlie Condou tells us in this episode, "and you see it with the younger generation of the LGBTQ community. They walk around holding hands, which is something that we certainly never would have done. Everything seems to be much more acceptable. Gay relationships as a whole, the fact that we can get married now, and the fact that we can have children." "It's relatively new, I suppose. I mean, I think that gay women have been getting on with having kids for a long time, because, you know, it's easier for them to have children. Gay men have never really been a part of the conversation for a long time and I think, if you were a gay man and you wanted to be a parent, you either got married to a woman and went down that lie, or you parked it and you thought ok this is something that I have to put out of my mind and put out of my life because it's not an option for me." "We couldn't adopt, surrogacy wasn't a thing, and we're a very different place now, and younger gay men today, when they get into a relationship and even if they don't want to have kids, it's still part of the conversation, they'll still have that discussion." During our interview, Condou described his inner thoughts, from the idea of wanting to become a dad, to figuring out how to do it as a gay men in the UK at the time. "As I got older and realized that I want to do it sooner rather than later," he said, "surrogacy wasn't a thing then, gay men couldn't adopt then, certainly single gay men couldn't adopt. So co-parenting was something that, it wasn't even a word, but it seemed like the best option to me. I'm going to have to find a female friend who wants to have children with me. Of course in my naive early 20s mind I thought 'yeah that'll be fine, somebody will want to have a kid with me, you know, who wouldn't?!' I did not realize that a lot of straight females-- it's not their first choice." "I started to have this conversation with girl friends of mine, just in a very vague kind of 'what if'? And I had one friend in particular, Cathrine, who said, 'yeah, I wanna be a parent, and if I'm still single at 40 then, yeah. Let's get on with it.' It was a bit of a joke, because why would she still be single at 40, but she was." Gay Dads in the UK: Co-Parenting "We sat down and said, ok, let's talk about it then. How would it work? We didn't know anybody who did anything like this at all. It was a completely new territory. So we talked about every eventuality, all the possible scenarios. What happens if someone moves to Australia? I don't know why even, but we talked about it. And I knew very quickly that if I was going to co-parent, it had to be 50-50. I didn't want to be a dad that is just around every other weekend." At some point during the conversation with Catherine, Charlie met his now-husband, Cameron. Early in their relationship Charlie had told him about his plans with Catherine and Cameron was on board. "And then it became the three of us, and the conversation had to change a little, because how does that work, with three parents? What will the three of us bring? How do we navigate that?" The Three of Us - Charlie's Column in The Guardian "It works really well," Charlie says, "We have the kids completely half and half, and that's the way that it's worked for a long time. Catherine has them on a Monday and a Tuesday, we have them on a Wednesday and a Thursday and we alternate weekends. And that works really well, because it means that we'll get time off, which means that we are not exhausted and strung out, and we don't get snappy and ratty with them, because we never get to the point where we think 'Oh my god I just need a break', because we get a break, and Catherine gets a break, and the kids get a break from us." "I'm not saying it's ideal and it's an ideal situation, of course. There are pros and cons, but I genuinely believe that the pros of our situation outweigh the cons." While many gay men co-parent with female friends they have already known, there are co-parenting dedicated websites where you can set yourself up with a profile with the intend to find co-parents. Adoption and Foster Care for Gay Dads in the UK Adoption stages in the UK: Enquiry Stage Stage 1 - check you and your home (2 months) Stage 2 - assessment meetings and training (4 months) Approval (panel) (about a week) Family Finding - matching you with a child (6-12 months) Placement Over 65,000 children across the UK. Every year thousands of foster families needed. Learn more about becoming a foster family in the UK. Also, The Fostering Network is a non-profit organization that brings together everyone who is involved in the lives of fostered children. Surrogacy for Gay Men in the UK Surrogacy agreements are not enforceable by UK law and surrogates are the child’s legal parent at birth. If the surrogate is married or in a civil partnership, their spouse or civil partner are the child’s second parent. Legal parenthood can be transferred by parental order or adoption after the child is born. Surrogacy: legal rights of parents and surrogates (gov.uk) Men Having Babies Similar to South Africa, only local residents can benefit from surrogacy domestically; and similarly to Canada, surrogates are not formally compensated. A lot of these elements of the British system are currently under review. There is a law commission that is getting a lot of feedback, but as it is now, and because of these limitations, many gay parents choose to leave the United Kingdom and pursue surrogacy elsewhere. Check out Men Having Babies website Sign up for the Men Having Babies upcoming conference in Europe Our Guest: Charlie Condou Charlie Condou is a British actor, columnist and LGBT rights activist. Condou secured a series of television movie roles during his teenage years in the 1980s. He later had guest roles in British television series during the 1990s. In 2007, Condou gained wider recognition when he took on the role of sonographer Marcus Dent in the soap opera Coronation Street, which he remained in until 2014. He also played the role of Ben Sherwood in the medical drama Holby City. Condou has used his fame as a platform to promote LGBT rights, becoming a patron for charities and being an advocate for same-sex parenting. Organizations Stonewall's guide for gay dads Pink Parents Two Dads UK NHS website Gay Dads in the UK: Related Articles and News U.K. Couple Welcomes Baby Girl via Surrogate in the U.S. Now, They're Fighting to Be Legally Recognized as Her Parents (People / April 28, 2026) Intended parents should get legal status from birth, says British surrogacy review (The Guardian / March 29, 2023) Gay dad explains the simple truth of being a foster carer: ‘It’s hard, but I feel lucky’ (Gay Star News / March 7, 2022) Gay Scots couple say children have 'never questioned' having two dads (Daily Record / March 5, 2022) Men can do anything women can, so why shouldn't I have an IVF baby on my own? The single 56-year-old law lecturer who spent £200,000 to fulfil his dream of fatherhood (Daily Mail, March 4, 2022) How 'family' is being redefined for the modern world (BBC, February 21,2022) Gay cop and married dad of two opens up on LGBT life at Police Scotland (Daily Record, February 15, 2022) As a gay Asian man, I never thought I’d be a dad to two wonderful boys (Metro, October 7, 2021) Not all gay men want to adopt – don’t judge me for wanting my own kids (Metro, August 21, 2021) Two gay dads on the reality of starting a family through surrogacy (The Times, January 2021) Phillip Schofield announcement: How it feels when your partner comes out as gay (Coming out after having kids) (BBC News, February 2020) Phillip Schofield comes out as gay, saying on live TV Episode Credits Co-Hosts: Yan Dekel, Alex MaghenGuest: Charlie CondouOpening Theme: Hercules & Love Affair, “Leonora” buy hereArticles Related to this episode:My Problem with the Phrase Openly Gay (Charlie Condou, Attitude Magazine)Charlie's gay icon: Princess JuliaYan's gay icons: Sonia, Jennifer Saunders, Lisa Scott-LeeListen to previous seasons of Daddy SquaredJoin our Facebook groupConnect with us on Instagram

Daddy Squared Around the World: Denmark May 24, 2021

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Daddy Squared: The Gay Dads Podcast looks at gay rights and fatherhood options in Denmark. We talked with Danish singer songwriter Bryan Rice to get a taste of what it’s like being a gay dad in Denmark, and researched options for gay men who want to become dads. Rainbow Family is the term used in Denmark for families with one or more LGBT persons in an immediate family. Our guest in this episode, singer and songwriter Bryan Rice, is a prominent example of a rainbow family, as he co-parent his daughter with his husband, Mads Enggaard and Mads' high school (straight woman) friend. "I feel it's quite common here, I don't feel special," Bryan says. "There is a common sense that families like mine are just as much families like others'. we have so many different types so this is just, as I call it, a happy divorced family. We don't have the baggage that often divorce families have." "Liv, [Bryan and Mads' daughter] has a mother who also live here in Copenhagen as well, who is an old friend of my husband Mads, so they have known each other since they were in high school and I have known her for all the time I know Mads, so we are a Rainbow Family." Liv's mother came to the couple when she was about to reach 40, and said that she had no boyfriend and she reached a point where she wanted to have a kid and she wanted to know if they wanted to be the fathers. "When we started talking about the project, we talked about how to start when the kid is born, what do we do at a certain age, when do we start splitting, when will she start to have one or two nights at our place without her mother," Bryan recalls. "We have what we call a child contract, and that is quite common here. The contract is based on our thoughts about how we are supposed to do it but also based on knowledge from other couples." Brian comes from a little town outside of Roskilde in Denmark. He came out at 17 "it has to do with a lot of things," he says, "in my surroundings it wasn't a problem to come out, and in my family I didn't really come out. To me it was just a matter of saying, 'I'm bringing home my boyfriend.'" Daddy Squared: The Gay Dads Podcast returns for season 4, Around the World, to capture gay dad options and rights in a post-pandemic world. In each episode, Alex and Yan, a married couple and fathers of five-year-old twins, talk with gay dads from a different country, discussing equal rights and options for gay men. Co-parenting in Denmark As far as parenthood options for gay men, Denmark is a "co-parenting culture." The majority of gay men tend to go with the co-parenting route, either with a woman friend who they know, or through meeting women on matchmaking websites that are specifically for creating Rainbow Families (see links below). In these websites you can search for other people who also want to become parents and are looking for one or more co-parents who share the dream to have together a child who knows both his biological parents. In the co-parenting model, all parents involved take part in the child's everyday life, development, etc. Surrogacy in Denmark Surrogacy is illegal in Denmark, therefore men who want to do it have to travel, most go to the USA, for their surrogacy journey. "I think that it is a quite strange that surrogacy is illegal in Denmark," Bryan said in our interview, "because Denmark has been on front of every other legislation in the LGBT area. We're very liberated country but still on this issue we're very much behind." "I feel that the politicians are almost afraid to talk about this subject, because they know that it's a problem that we are so much behind in Denmark but because it has to do with women's rights they are reluctant of raising this issue." Once you come back to Denmark with your baby, the biological father will have to prove genetic relations through a simple paternity test, in order for the kid to receive Danish citizenship. Adoption in Denmark Though gay men can adopt in Denmark legally, this is the least common parenting route gay men choose in Denmark. The main reason is: within Denmark there's an average of 5-10 kids for adoption, and International adoption is just less common. Adoption on FamilieretshusetAdoption in Denmark on Faktalink Our Guest: Bryan Rice Bryan Rice is a known pop singer and songwriter in Denmark. His debut single "No Promises" was a huge hit in Denmark in the Autumn of 2005/spring of 2006. Bryan received his first gold record for the sale of 20,000 copies in Denmark, and platinum for more than 13,000 downloads of "No Promises". Furthermore, Bryan was nominated "Best Danish Male Singer" at the 2006 Zulu Awards. Since then he released 5 albums, all of which are now available on Spotify Bryan is also the man behind the famous Instagram gay dads account Two Dads World Wide. Men Having Babies Ethical Surrogacy. One of the first things that MHB did as organization is to gather a group of surrogates and to come up with what we call Ethical Framework for surrogacy. In most of the countries in Europe surrogacy is either illegal or much more tightly controlled than it is in countries like in United States, and some of the reasons for that are based on a real fear on the part of the people and the governments of these countries that surrogacy can be abused and abusive. Organizations DARE Denmark - a non profit organization that works in the area of surrogacy in particular and of equality for LGBT parenting in general Co-parenting Matchmaking websites: regnbuebarn.dk regnbuefamilie.dk https://karentherkelsen.com/foraelder-speed-matching/ Gay Dads in Denmark: Related Articles and News The government considers allowing surrogacy in Denmark (The Copenhagen post / December 5, 2025) Denmark Passes New Pro-Surrogacy Regulations (Above the Law / February 2024) Denmark Threatens To Deport Surrogate-Born Children (Above The Law, February 9, 2022) Denmark’s family law paves the way for rainbow families (Local DK, 2019) Surrogacy – Far, dad og børn (out & About, 2018) Gay couple become first to adopt from abroad (The Local DK, 2014) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkjDBLK4Msc Episode Credits Co-Hosts: Yan Dekel, Alex Maghen, GregGuest: Bryan RiceOpening Theme: Hercules & Love Affair, “Leonora” buy hereArticles Related to this episode:Axel Axgil on Wikipedia (Bryan's choice of a Danish gay icon)email usListen to previous seasons of Daddy SquaredJoin our Facebook groupConnect with us on Instagram

Daddy Squared Around the World: Germany May 17, 2021

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Daddy Squared: The Gay Dads Podcast looks at gay rights and fatherhood options in Germany. We talked with German stage actor and blogger Kevin Silvergieter (AKA "Papapi") to get a taste of what it's like being a gay dad in Germany, and researched options for gay men who want to become dads. Despite Berlin's reputation as one of the most gay-friendly cities in the world, it's surprising to know that Germany is not as tolerant for LGBT parenting as one might think. Not only is there a lack of visibility for gay dads in the media, gay men report discrimination in adoption and the general attitude towards them raising kids. "Still there are a few parts where I’m like ‘um, we live in Germany and it’s 2021 and are you kidding me?!'," our guest in this episode, famous blogger Kevin Silvergieter, tells us, "do I still have to deal with that as a gay man?" Until 2017 gay marriage wasn’t even legal in Germany. There was something like ‘written partnership by law.’ "With us not being able to marry we were not able to adopt kids as couples." Kevin explains. "We still have [discrimination] in quite a few areas of German law. For example, blood donation is not allowed for gay men because our behavior raises the risk of HIV, which is, of course, ridiculous. They did come up 5 years or so ago with a law that gay men can donate blood if they haven’t had sex for 12 months." With adoption, it's really rare for gay men to be selected, according to some testimonials, because of a strong preference by the authorities and the birth parents to give kids to heterosexual families. "I don’t want to call it discrimination but it’s kind of odd that we’re not good enough for adoption but the agencies will placed very troubled foster kids with us," Kevin says in the interview. Foster Care is definitely more common for gay men than adoption. "I know that there are a few gay couples who were closer by age more than my husband and I and they adopted 6 years ago," Kevin says. "They both have been a better match for the authorities than we have, so one of the dads adopted and then three years ago when the law changed the other one could adopt them as well. Also, overall, there are not many kids available for adoption. The ratio is 10 heterosexual parents waiting for every one kid, and on top of that one gay couple. And the biological parents can decide with the authorities together where to put the kids and most of them prefer to place their kids with heterosexual couples." Kevin and his husband were reluctant to go with the Foster Care route because of fears for growing close to a child only to have them taken away. He was surprised to find out that there was a 'permanent foster route,' where he can get a court document that affirms that the kids will stay with him. "In April 2014 I called Foster Care and asked for an interview to see if this option really doesn’t fit us or we just didn’t know enough," Kevin tells us. "I just thought that if we don’t hear it first-hand we can’t really rule it out. So we started, and then in September 2015, after a long, long road with lots of paperwork and talks with psychologists (a process which was really frustrating at the time, but which I now appreciate for the extreme care involved), our son moved in. Daddy Squared: The Gay Dads Podcast returns for season 4, Around the World, to capture gay dad options and rights in a post-pandemic world. In each episode, Alex and Yan, a married couple and fathers of five-year-old twins, talk with gay dads from a different country, discussing equal rights and options for gay men. Foster Care in Germany Foster Care is currently the main option for gay men. In recent research of types of parenting for gay men, it was found that 54% of families with gay dads were created through Foster Care. The main difference between Foster Care and Adoption is that parents or guardians with custody must be involved in important decisions made by the foster family. Because of these dependencies on external actors, a foster family becomes somewhat of a public family whose private life is overseen in institutional contexts. Foster parents have to learn to deal with this to a certain extent. More input on gays as foster parents. Adoption in Germany The issue of same-sex couples adopting children is full of conflict. Even today, many voices, especially in politics, are heard about not trusting gays to raise children. In 2013 Angela Merkel said that she was uncomfortable with the idea of adoptions. “I'm unsure about the best interests of the child,” she said. In July 2015, the Berlin CDU rejected a majority of marriage for same-sex couples. To this day, Germany has made it very difficult for homosexual couples to adopt a child. Most of the domestic adoptions of gay fathers that we know are resulted from a previous foster relationship. In Germany, it is difficult for same-sex couples to start a family through adoption. That is why gay men increasingly choose the path of adoption abroad. The number of countries that are giving children to single men for adoption is currently very low. Multiple Parenthood Germany More and more gay fathers are trying to realize their desire to have children together with heterosexual or lesbian women in a multi-parent family. Several people come together here because they share their lives with children and want to take responsibility for them together. In addition to checking a possible fit, there are many uncertainties that need to be removed. This requires a differentiated exchange of ideas about upbringing, how to deal with possible conflicts as well as needs and claims in questions of closeness and contact with the child, as well as information on the legal situation. The legal situation of this multiple parent constellation is difficult, as there can only be two parents legally in Germany. For the mostly three to four expectant parents, the question always arises of where legal parenting should be mapped. As long as there is no legal framework in Germany that can represent a multiple parent constellation on an equal footing, such a family constellation always harbors legal risks beyond the personal challenges. All agreements under private law are based on the trust and honesty of those involved. Surrogacy in Germany Surrogacy is illegal in Germany and gay men who decide to have a biological kid have to go abroad to go through surrogacy journey, mostly to America. Our Guest: Kevin Silvergieter An actor and a blogger – in his blog, papapi.de, he gives insights into his family life with his husband and their two foster children. The blog received the 2017 "Special Award for Corporate Citizenship" of the parent Blogger Awards of the textile company Ernsting's Family. With a definitive lack of visibility for gay dads in the media, Silvergieter is one of the most known gay dads in Germany at the moment. Men Having Babies The pandemic has created people focusing their journey on a more specific geographic region and looking to avoid travel and unnecessary trips, tryong to be efficiant in time and keep things as close as possible. For a lot people it slowed down their journey or even put everything on hold or evaluating when it is absolutely necessary to be in a place and and when things can be done in a different way in a way that hasn’t been done before. Most commonly we see it when people want to ship their samples and not go to the IVF clinic in person. Organizations LSVD – the gay and lesbian associationfamilyship.org Gay Dads in Germany: Related Articles and News Zwei Väter für Susana und Luke (Der Tagesspiegel, August 26, 2019)On the Other Hand, Being Fathers is Great (German) (Der Tagesspiegel, 2016)Gay Couple Becomes First in Germany to Adopt Child (DW, 2017) Episode Credits Co-Hosts: Yan Dekel, Alex MaghenGuests: Kevin Silvergeiter, Lisa SchusterOpening Theme: Hercules & Love Affair, “Leonora” buy hereArticles Related to this episode:'American Song Contest' on screens in 2022Diggi-Loo Diggi-Ley - Herrey's (Yan's Eurovision Favorite)Diva - Dana International (Yan's Eurovision Favorite)Yan's Eurovision Corner on Instagram ReelsListen to previous seasons of Daddy SquaredJoin our Facebook groupConnect with us on Instagram

Daddy Squared Around the World: South Africa May 10, 2021

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Daddy Squared: The Gay Dads Podcast looks at fatherhood options for gay men in South Africa. We talked with South African Power Couple Andrew and Brent (who are responsible for the first ever Primetime gay kiss on South African TV) about parenting options and rights for gay men in South Africa. South Africa was pretty much at the forefront of human rights for the LGBTQI+ community. During the apartheid era, homosexuality was a crime and that was written into the law until 1994. Because of the African National Congress (ANC), the freedom fighters, and people who had really fought for democracy, equality, and human rights, they have passed laws that made homosexuality legal and shortly after also brought same-sex marriage to the South African constitution in 1996. Daddy Squared: The Gay Dads Podcast returns for season 4, Around the World, to capture gay dads options and rights in a post-pandemic world. In each episode, Alex and Yan, a married couple and fathers of five-year-old twins, talk with gay dads from a different country, discussing equal rights and options for gay men. By 2002 the Constitutional Court gave the right for same sex couples to adopt, and that was written into the Children's Act in 2005. So adoption is legal for gay men in South Africa, surrogacy is legal too, and there's no difference in the application process whether you are two dads or a mom and a dad. And in Andrew's case, even marrying a woman and having kids with her is legal :) Andrew and Brent have been co-parenting their two children with his former wife. "I don't believe that I would ever have imagined that I'd meet someone with children already," Brent says. "I didn't think that it'd be part of my life's journey, but when I met Andrew the first night we went on a date, I knew he was the one, I knew that this was the guy for me and yes, we spoke about the fact that he had kids on that first date. He was very upfront about the fact that he had kids, and I didn't let it disturb me, because I thought, I like this guy, I think that this relationship can go somewhere, maybe kids can be a bonus. Maybe having kids around can actually add value to my life." Adoption in South Africa South Africa the only country in Africa to allow LGBT adoptions. There are approximately 1.8 million adoptive children in the country so if you want to start a family through adoption you would follow these steps: Orientation session where all the details are explained Fill out the application form and send it to the agency Set up a personal profile Apply for a police clearance certificate Undergo psychometric testing An interview with a social worker An interview with a panel of social workers Home visit Final Approval Wait for "the call" that matches you with a baby More info about adoption Surrogacy in South Africa In a country with high unemployment and high poverty rates it's so easy to exploit the legality of surrogacy. The law is there to protect against that, and to have surrogacy in the country in the most ethical way possible. Surrogacy in South Africa is highly protective of surrogates – surrogates are not allowed to get paid, and every surrogacy journey has to have a valid agreement that is approved by the court. There are a number of formal requirements when a woman considers becoming a surrogate in South Africa. The surrogate and her husband/partner must firstly be domiciled in South Africa. Read more about the South African requirements/laws on surrogacy Many of the gay men who go through surrogacy in South Africa do use a surrogate who has some form of connection to them, whether she is a friend or a distant relative. "Of the four people that I spoke to, and this obviously not statistically valid, all four of the surrogates were personal friends of the gay couples," Andrew says on Daddy Squared. Our Guests: Andrew Ross and Brent Lindeque Power Couple Andrew and Brent have been together for 13 years, and best known in South Africa from the TV reality show My Kitchen Rules. Brent is a journalist, best known for his GoodThingsGuy.com website, reaching over two million visitors a month, and his Cliffcentral show. He first made a splash in 2014 when he created the RAK initiative, aimed at giving back and helping those in need, which became a global phenomenon. An entrepreneur, thought leader, and MD for two agencies, and a former musicals actor, Andrew works around the world in the fields of sponsorship, brand activation, experiential marketing and social media. Related: Forget About New Year’s Resolutions: This Year We’re Setting Intentions! (Brent Lineque) Gay Dads in South Africa: Related Articles and News The Journey of Surrogacy: 2 Dads and a Lad (JacarandaFM, October 5, 2021) Single fathers can now legally register a child born through surrogacy in SA (2021) Single father of baby born via surrogacy wants to be allowed to register daughter’s birth (2021) A court has refused to approve a surrogacy agreement between a gay couple and a woman – because one of the men is still in the closet (2017) Men Having Babies MHB has developed a framework for ethical surrogacy principles, protocols and best practices for intended parents. Episode Credits Co-Hosts: Yan Dekel, Alex MaghenGuests: Andrew Ross and Brent LindequeOpening Theme: Hercules & Love Affair, “Leonora” buy hereArticles Related to this episode:The Urine Brick https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNSgQ7rAYZ0 Listen to previous seasons of Daddy SquaredJoin our Facebook groupConnect with us on Instagram Gay Icons from South Africa Evita Bezuidenhout (Pieter-Dirk Uys)Evita Bezuidenhout is a fictitious Afrikaner drag queen created by Pieter-Dirk Uys in the 1980s, using satire to overcome apartheid censorship and criticize the state. The character was imagined as the wife of an apartheid cabinet minister, she became the South African ambassador in the fictitious black homeland republic of Bapetikosweti. She interviewed Nelson Mandela on national television in 1994, addressed parliament in 1999 and is now a member of the ruling ANC. She has her own political party, Evita’s People’s Party, which focuses on voter education. Pieter-Dirk Uys regards her as his premier clown in the struggle against fear, racism and political correctness and says: ‘Just because she doesn’t exist doesn’t mean she’s not real’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxOx-jolllE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEuLFlvX-KE

Daddy Squared Around the World: Canada May 03, 2021

Show notes

Daddy Squared: The Gay Dads Podcast looks at fatherhood options for gay men in Canada. We talked with actor Brad Harder Arychuk, a father of two, about being gay dads in Canada in a post-pandemic world. Daddy Squared: The Gay Dads Podcast returns for season 4, Around the World, to capture gay dads options and rights in a post-pandemic world. In each episode, Alex and Yan, a married couple and fathers of five-year-old twins, talk with gay dads from a different country, discussing equal rights and options for gay men. Canada is was referred to as the most gay-friendly country in the world, when it was ranked first in the Gay Travel Index chart in 2018, and among the five safest in Forbes magazine in 2019. Our guest in this episode, actor Brad Harder Arychuk, says that despite the general acceptance, there is still a long way to go. "We live in Vancouver, it's tremendously gay friendly," Brad says. "People don't look at you at all being a gay family, but I grew up in rural Alberta in a farming community and that definitely wasn't the same sentiment, and unfortunately still isn't. All my extended family is still there, and I don't [go back there]. Because there's no reason for me to go back, unfortunately. Unfortunately it's not an option. Gay rights and gay freedom in Canada have come so far and I'm so glad that we are such a beacon for LGBTQ rights and representation globally. But we still have a long way to go." In terms of parenting, both adoption and surrogacy are available for gay men in Canada. Brad and his husband Graham tried to adopt before they finally had their kids through surrogacy. "There hasn't been a moment when I pictured myself not being a parent," he says, "and I know for my husband it was a different journey but we just kinda got to talking about it before our wedding in 2018, we've heard from other friends that with adoption it takes a while, we actually looked at adoption first. "We really wanted to have a newborn and so we did pursue and set up some meetings with a few adoption agencies locally. It seemed like a viable route but there were so many things about it that we just couldn't control. First of all the number of newborns in our province is extremely low and the waitlist for newborns is something around 3 or 4 years and there's a few hundred people on the list. So we decided to also look at surrogacy." "When you become a parent the rollercoaster ride of learning at the beginning is so intense that sometimes you feel like you're going to be in it forever and before you know if you're out," Brad says. Adoption in Canada There are three types of adoption available for gay men in Canada: Public AdoptionThe Children’s Aid Society connects children living in foster care homes with adoptive families. (Cost: $0–3000 CAD) Private AdoptionAgencies who work with birth parents to match children with adoptive parents. (Cost: $10000- 20000 CAD) International Adoption Agencies who work in other countries. Surrogacy in Canada The surrogacy process in Canada is very similar to that in the United States although Canada follows what's called an altruistic model, which means that surrogates are not actually paid, but they have their expenses reimbursed. Generally those are set out in your contract and then there are expenses on top of that.Once the baby arrives there is a post-order, Declaration of Parentage, and you go to court and you have the surrogate's name removed and both fathers names put on. "When we created our embryos that was in a private medical clinic, some of our screenings and some of her screenings were done in any of our public clinics which we didn't have to pay for," Brad said on the podcast. "Other than that when they implanted the embryo and the meds that went with that - that we had to pay for but everything else, all the checkups but then, once you're pregnant, everything is paid for." If you are bringing the baby home from another country you might have to talk to international lawyer and find out what you need to do when you arrive back into your own country. Co-Parenting in Canada Read the story of Matthew Pearson from Ottawa, who, together with his husband Alain co-parent two children with lesbian couple, Karin and Janette. Our Guest: Brad Harder Arychuk Brad Harder was born on March 7, 1985 in Alberta, Canada as Bradlee Harder. He is an actor and assistant director, known for The Christmas House (2020) and Aurora Teagarden Mysteries (2015). Married in 2018 and assumed his husbands last name and is known as Brad Harder Arychuk. Their son, Kael Cedric Arychuk also plays his son in the movie "The Christmas House". View this post on Instagram A post shared by Brad Harder Arychuk (@bradharderarychuk) Canadian Organizations Egale Canada: Surrogacy, Parenting & Money, Legal Q&ABC Council for FamiliesGay fathers of TorontoLGBTQ Parenting Network Canada Gay Dads in The Canada: Related Articles and News Gay men have equal parenting rights in Canada — but not equal access to parenthood (The Conversation / May 10, 2026) Gay father-to-be files human rights complaint alleging IVF discrimination (CBC News / March 28, 2023) Cindy Pelletier, a Canadian who carried a baby for a gay couple from France talks about surrogacy (Feb 8, 2021) Men Having Babies Men Having Babies holds conferences on surrogacy in the U.S and Canada several times a year. The next conference is in mid May. Men Having Babies Canada On facebook Episode Credits Co-Hosts: Yan Dekel, Alex MaghenGuests: Brad Harder Arychuk, Frankie NelsonOpening Theme: Hercules & Love Affair, “Leonora” buy here View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Gay Dads Podcast (@yanirdekel) Listen to previous seasons of Daddy SquaredJoin our Facebook groupConnect with us on Instagram Gay Icons from Canada Dan Levy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8yBkZ1cZSw Céline Dion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1Hn2Ytjhbs

Daddy Squared Around the World: The Netherlands Apr 26, 2021

Show notes

Daddy Squared: The Gay Dads Podcast looks at fatherhood options for gay men in The Netherlands. We talked to writer, former politician, and actor, Boris van der Ham, a father of two co-parenting with lesbian moms, about being gay dads in the Netherlands in a post-pandemic world. Daddy Squared: The Gay Dads Podcast returns for season 4, Around the World, to capture gay dad options and rights in a post-pandemic world. In each episode, Alex and Yan, a married couple and fathers of five-year-old twins, talk with gay dads from a different country, discussing equal rights and options for gay men. In 2001 The Netherlands was the first country in the world to recognize marriage for same sex couples. With that the option for same sex couples to adopt jointly and with stepchildren opened. "When I became a dad and I told people - even very progressive people - they said, 'oh, I thought you didn't want that.'" The thought was that if I was gay it meant that the family "lifestyle" was not for me and that what I was really looking for was to party all the time. "We are now going into a new phase, in which you have the right to be different from other people. The next step is that you can be different in being different as well. So some [gay men] want to party their whole life, like straight people can do too, and others want to have another way of life. The diversity of gay men is now coming to the surface. With religious gay people, non-religious, different kinds of religion, kids, no kids… " Paul de Leeuw was one of the first famous gay men in The Netherlands to have kids through adoption. "That was, I think for me also, an eye opener because I thought to myself, 'is this possible?'" "There's a gay version of the famous TV reality show The Bachelor [in The Netherlands], called Prince Charming. And this gay guy and the guy he chose at the end, they are still a couple, were asked in a lot of interviews 'do you want to have children,' it became a very normal question to ask gay people, and I think for me, I'm 47 now but if I was in my teens developing my sexual identity I would have been helped a lot that the option that you can have children when you are gay is visible." Adoption The Dutch Parliament began allowing same-sex couples to adopt children overseas in 2009. Currently, it's only allowed to adopt from the Netherlands, the USA, Portugal, and South Africa. You must first register with the Ministry of Justice, which places you on a waiting list. After completion of the compulsory courses by both partners, there is a family survey. If all of this has been found to be okay, you will receive a permit for adoption in principle. For more info on adoption (in Dutch) visit www.justitie.nl, www.adoptie.nl, www.anewway.nl Surrogacy Surrogacy is possible under certain circumstances in the Netherlands. However, promoting (commercial) surrogacy is prohibited. In concrete terms, this means that prospective parents are not allowed to place an appeal or advertise that they are looking for a surrogate mother and - vice versa - for a prospective surrogate mother who is looking for prospective parents. Wish-parents are allowed to look for a surrogate mother within their own circle, for example from friends and family members. Compensation can be given for costs incurred by the surrogate mother. For more information, see the National Government . Co-Parenting The LGBT organization Meer dan Gewenst (see below) runs a classifieds ad section for people who are looking to co-parent. See it here. Examples for co-parenting agreements and more info can be found here Our Guest: Boris van der Ham Boris van der Ham is a Dutch writer, humanist, former politician, and actor. In 2002 he became a member of the House of Representatives and later became the president of the Humanistisch Verbond (Dutch Humanist Association). In 2016 he began pursuing his passion in the entertainment arts. In the musical Ciske de Rat, he did the voice-over of the Dutch version of 'The Secret Life of 4 year olds [nl]'. In 2018 he returned to the stage in the Dutch adaption of Kwame Kwei-Armah's play 'Beneatha's Place'. Last year he released his debut album (in Dutch). Organizations Meer dan Gewenst organizes informative meetings on legal, social, medical, and scientific aspects of LGBT parenting. Pleegzorg.nl Foster parenting organization that works together with parents before and through foster care. Gay Dads in The Netherlands: Related Articles and News Roy en Corné worden vader! De manier waarop is uniek in Nederland (de Gelderlander, 2021)Nauwelijks verlof voor LHBTI-ouders: 'Dochter met zes weken naar de crèche' (RTL Nieuws, 2020) Men Having Babies Corner Is surrogacy right for you? How Men Having Babies assists prospective parents in navigating the options. Episode Credits Co-Hosts: Yan Dekel, Alex MaghenGuest: Boris van der HamOpening Theme: Hercules & Love Affair, “Leonora” buy hereRelated links to this episode: Known Sperm DonorListen to previous seasons of Daddy SquaredJoin our Facebook groupConnect with us on Instagram Gay Icons Willem "Wim" Sonneveld was a Dutch cabaret artist and singer. He died in 1974, and still to this day is considered one of the 'Great Three' of Dutch cabaret. Sonneveld is generally viewed as a Dutch cultural icon for his work and legacy in theatre, musicals and music. Sonneveld was gay, though not openly as it would have been unacceptable during that era. He shared his life with various men throughout the years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMGTZP_wiMc Netherlands win Eurovision 2019 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09NdgwARzw0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXOqK4Au5nA

Daddy Squared Around The World: Sweden Apr 19, 2021

Show notes

Daddy Squared: The Gay Dads Podcast looks at fatherhood options for gay men in Sweden. We talked to European Parliament Member, politician Tomas Tobé, to look at Swedish laws for LGBTI people in general and gay parents in particular. “Daddy Squared: The Gay Dads Podcast” returns for season 4 to capture gay dad options and rights in a post-pandemic world. In each episode, Alex and Yan, a married couple and fathers of five-year-old twins, talk with gay dads from a different country, discussing equal rights and options for gay men. It was in the 1970s when it was declared that homosexuality was not a disease in Sweden. Still to this day surrogacy for gay men (and in general) is illegal. "The door for [gay men to become parents] is adoption. Adoption for gay couples has been legal for many years, but it's not easy and very rare," Tobé explains, "I know a lot of people who tried to find arrangements with other friends or other couples and to solve it that way. [Me and my husband Marcus] tried to find other solutions to create a family and for us surrogacy in the U.S. was the best option." "It was important for us to work with an agency that has been doing it for many years and they were really cautious in making sure that the surrogate was not in some kind of financial need." Surrogacy is very debated in Sweden. "You have voices coming from both the left and the right," Tobé says. "People are saying that the surrogacy ban is about protecting women, that is one side of the argument. But on the other side there's people argue that if it's a choice and you can have it in a good way then it should be fine. Sweden has been a very progressive country when it comes to gay marriage, gay adoption and the values in society but when it comes to surrogacy it's not going forward. I don't see it moving forward for at least 10 years. Something needs to happen in the political debate about it." Adoption Most adoptions in Sweden are transnational, as domestic adoptions are rare (simply because of low numbers of children in the system). With transnational adoption, the first transnational adoption to a Swedish male couple occurred in 2017, and since then very few same-sex couples have been able to adopt, partly because of the limited access to foreign organizations that accept same-sex adopters. Read more on Swedish Gay Men’s Pursuit of Fatherhood by Anna Malmquist & Alexander Spånberg Ekholm. Shared Parenting Arrangements Previously, shared parenting arrangements have been a relatively common route to parenthood for LGBs, but since lesbian couples gained access to ART in Swedish healthcare, they typically choose to raise the children on their own. Read more on Swedish Gay Men’s Pursuit of Fatherhood by Anna Malmquist & Alexander Spånberg Ekholm. Swedish Organizations that Help Gay Dads RFSL - Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights Gay Dads in Sweden: Related Articles and News Dad speaks of his amazing international surrogacy journey (Yahoo News, March 3, 2022) Äntligen hemma! ”Vi vill tacka QX-läsarna för alla donationer (QX, 2020) Janne och Wesley fick barn med hjälp av surrogatmamma (Dagens Nyheter, 2019) Our Guest: Tomas Tobé Tomas Tobé is a Swedish member of the European Parliament since 2019. He lives outside Stockholm with his husband Marcus and his twin daughters (via surrogacy). Born on 16 February 1978 in Gävle, Sweden, Tobé was elected as a Member of the European Parliament in 2019 and is the Chairman of the Committee on Development and Member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs. He is a Substitute Member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy and also belongs to the European Parliament Intergroup on LGBT Rights. Prior to being elected to the European Parliament, he held various positions in the Swedish Riksdag since his first election in 2006. These include positions as Chairman of the Committee on Justice, Committee on Education and Committee on the Labour Market. He was the Secretary General of the Moderate Party between 2015 and 2017. Men Having Babies Corner Many in our community are citizens of at least one country other than the country in which their child is born. They may both reside in Europe for instance, and the baby is born in the USA or Canada. Or they are a binational couple residing in the USA, and wish their child to be eligible for foreign citizenship of one of his fathers, and perhaps even move there later on. The time to think about these issues is well before the start of the surrogacy journey, and the help of attorneys who are familiar with the laws in all of these jurisdictions is a must. Webinar Episode Credits Co-Hosts: Yan Dekel, Alex MaghenGuest: Tomas TobéOpening Theme: Hercules & Love Affair, “Leonora” buy hereListen to previous seasons of Daddy SquaredJoin our Facebook groupConnect with us on Instagram Gay Icons Gay Icons from Sweden talked about in the show: Christer Björkman - Swedish singer and television producer. He represented Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest 1992 with the song "I morgon är en annan dag." Since 2002, he has been a producer of Melodifestivalen, and remained an important figure in Melodifestivalen and the Eurovision Song Contest. He steps down from his position in 2021. Charlotte Perrelli - Swedish singer and occasional television host. She was the winner of the 1999 Melodifestivalen and subsequently that year's Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Take Me to Your Heaven." Since then she has released seven albums and multiple singles. She is one of Sweden's most popular female singers, often performing at Sweden's top shows. Throughout her career, she has worked with different types of music, ranging from dansband and schlager, via modern pop, to soulful ballads and jazz melodies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_iSoluR53U Alcazar - a Swedish nu-disco group. Alcazar is one of Sweden's most successful music groups both nationally and internationally with a string of hits since their debut single in 1999. Worldwide, Alcazar sold over 12 million records between 2001 and 2004. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTWXSGuQKxU TV Shows Brainchild (Netflix)From germs and emotions to social media and more, it's the science of the world explained in a way that's refreshingly relatable. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2WK7PjeVYs Glitter Force (Netflix)A tiny pixie recruits a group of five preteen friends to defend Earth from fairy-tale villains. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZImUyiFetc

Daddy Squared Around The World: France Apr 12, 2021

Show notes

On the Season Premiere of Daddy Squared Around The World we're checking to see what's life like for gay dads in France. We spoke with Aurelien and Nicolas, stars of the documentary Ghosts of the République, we look at stigma in surrogacy and try to figure out the options for gay men in France to build their families. In the first episode, Yan and Alex look at options for gay men in France, with guests Auerlien and Nicolas, starts of the US/French documentary ‘Ghosts of the Republique.’ France is one of many European countries which is considered progressive and supportive of the gay community, in general. But in the category of gay parenting, there are some serious complications. French law not only bans all surrogacy (for straight and gay people) in the country, but also ‘punishes’ parents who go through surrogacy abroad by refusing to recognize the children as their parents’ legal children. “The punishment is for the child and that’s why it’s really weird that France has been condemned by the European court many times, I think 12 or 13 times, because the only person who has difficulty because of these policies is the child, who does not have the same rights as any other French child,” Aurelian says in the interview. “Right now people are still fighting for the rights of these children who are already living in France.” 'Ghosts of the République' No More According to Dominique Boren, co-chair of APGL, the situation has changed dramatically since the documentary. "Surrogacy is banned in France (even inciting to engage into surrogacy journey) punished by fine and even time in prison," Boren says. "However, to my knowledge, NO ONE has ever been subject to prosecution and even less faced trial. The main goal being this non implemented law is to refrain promotion in France of surrogacy (which is quite effective with almost no surrogacy agencies holding promotion or marketing event on their services, in France." "Since 2015 (due to our family case settled by French supreme court) no kid has been left outside of French system, and to my knowledge, progressively, all hurdles have been left. As for the parents, French legal system does recognize automatically at least one of the parents as 'real' parent (mainly the one of the parents who decides to identify himself as declared parent), the dilemma is for the second (same sex) parent. If the parenting rights acquired in the country of birth are deemed to be as per French adoption rules, then the second parent is granted same rights as the 'real' parent, through a legal process referred as exequature. Almost a formality.If not, and this is mostly the case, and will become the rule after law on access to IVF for lesbians and single women will become effective, then the second parent MUST (be married to the other parent) make an application to a family court to be granted status of adoptive parent with all parental rights attached thereto. to date, this legal process is quite simple and lean but takes time and money, and I must is meant to refrain surrogacy or least prevent from being "simple." "Kids are not punished as such, it is rather the second parent who is facing discrimination (legal discrimination) as to establish his legitimate and rightful status of 'true' parent as the other parent. So imperfect and discriminatory though it is, at the end of day, kids do have their parents with equal rights." Adoption "Contrary to what is a common practice in the USA, France does not have foster care system and adoption regulations," Boren says, "and processes are fully in the hands of public administration and a collective board (in each department… more or less a state, in short) composed of representatives of various organizations, and until recently, no LGBT families NGO was present in any of the board, and APLG is to date the only NGO with representatives in few boards. (In practice, civil administrators prepare fills for adoption on behalf of applicants and submit such selected application to each board, who makes the final selection)." "Since 2014 (same sex couple marriage law) hundreds of gays (mostly) and lesbians have applied to be authorized to fill in an adoption application, nearly all of them succeed in getting such ok, but only very few become adoptive parents (less then 100 …). It is cleary a major issue to be improved." French Organizations that Help Gay Dads APGL - The Association of Parents and Future Parents Gays and Lesbians ADFH - Association des Familles Homoparentales Gay Dads in France: Related Articles and News Top court rules France must recognise children born from surrogacy abroad (Reuters / July 2026) Trump's Policies Tried to Tear This Gay Father and Son Apart — The Dad Won (The Advocate / April 5, 2022) Adoption: une proposition de loi pour en faciliter l'accès aux couples homosexuels (December 2020) As same-sex couples in France try to adopt, conservative forces push back (July 2018) Adoption row in France as official says gay people should be given ‘the children no one wants’ (June 2018) French Gay Dads Win A Surrogacy Victory (July 2017) Our Guests Nicolas and Aurelien, a gay couple from France, are in the center of the new documentary, Ghosts of the République. Confronted by France’s conservative surrogacy laws, the couple decides to exhaust their last option by traveling to Las Vegas to start a family of their own through international surrogacy. Through the lens of one family, the film demonstrates the extreme lengths many gay couples go to have children, while highlighting the ever-expanding and controversial surrogacy industry. Nicolas and Aurelien’s story is unique in that it is a portrayal of the same-sex experience in creating a biological family through surrogacy, a technology developed in the 1980’s becoming more and more commonplace each year. This technology is one that has not only brought hope to couples who struggle with infertility but also to couples who struggle with equality. But while it is a source of hope for many, surrogacy also raises ethical considerations with various legal implications across the globe. Men Having Babies Corner Lisa Schuster, GPAP Program Director at Men Having Babies and a former surrogate, talks about stigma and stereotype in surrogacy and how to deal with it when raising your child. It's important not to hide your child's birth story. Upcoming MHB Events April 19, 2021 - Member Webinar - Preparing for Birth: Bonding with Your Baby. From pregnancy to toddlerhood, learn about what promotes bonding, how dads bond with their babies, and what is (or isn't) important for forming that bond. Learn more 2021 West Coast Surrogacy Conference, May 15-16: For gay men who want to become parents through surrogacy, the MHB educational conferences are a rare opportunity to get curated information, expert advice and access to a wide range of relevant service providers — and from an unbiased non-profit organization. Register here Episode Credits Co-Hosts: Yan Dekel, Alex MaghenGuests: Nicolas and Aurelien, Lisa SchusterOpening Theme: Hercules & Love Affair, “Leonora” buy hereListen to previous seasons of Daddy SquaredJoin our Facebook groupConnect with us on Instagram

Daddy Squared Greatest Hits Jul 21, 2020

Show notes

Alex and Yan look back at the three seasons of the show. Daddy Squared: The Gay Dads Podcast first aired in September 2018. Since then we have done three seasons, a COVID-19 thirty-day challenge and a Pride 2020 episode. This extended episode gives you a taste of what the podcast is all about using clips of stories and moments from the three seasons of the show Your Gay Dads Hosts Yan Dekel, an independent web designer and social media manager, and Alex Maghen, a Technology executive at Warner Bros., are a married couple, living in West Hollywood, California with 4.5 year-old twins. Alex, a U.S. native and Yan, an Israeli immigrant, have been together since 2007 and got married in 2013. They talk openly about their relationship and couples therapy, combined with examining who they are as gay men, as individuals and as parents. In each episode they bring a guest and tackle an issue that arises in parenting in general and in gay parenting in particular. What's New in IVF Technology? Ask your doctor about how the Embryoscope offers a significant increase in pregnancy outcome. Time-lapse technology allows for continuous embryo assessment and reduces stress on the embryos during culture. These factors improve the selection of optimal embryos and increase pregnancy outcomes. This revolutionary IVF breakthrough increases pregnancy rate and live birth rate, decreases pregnancy loss rate. Embryologists use the EmbryoScope as a tool for the selection of the most optimal embryos by analyzing greater than 5,000 images for each embryo. Time-lapse monitoring was associated with a significantly higher live birth rate. Episode Sponsor Dr. Mark Surrey is a true ally when it comes to IVF and surrogacy for gay men. We chose Mark as our sponsor as part of our quest to help future dads to have the best experience (and best results) in their surrogacy journey. Please hear Dr. Surrey’s opinion on your specific journey as part of your research on surrogacy. It’s important to get the best consultancy possible before getting into this journey. Fill in your details below to get the Daddy Squared “VIP Care” consultancy from Dr. Surrey‘s team. Ask Dr. Surrey a question: [contact-form-7 id="2703" title="Contact form 1"] Episode Credits Co-Hosts: Yan Dekel, Alex MaghenDaddy Squared Opening Theme: Hercules & Love Affair, “Leonora” buy hereAir Date: July 21, 2020 Listen to previous seasons of Daddy SquaredJoin our Facebook groupConnect with us on Instagram 🇩🇰 De homoseksuelle dads podcast er bragt til dig fra West Hollywood, Californien. Det er til homoseksuelle mænd, der er far, der overvejer at blive far eller for dem, der gerne vil kigge ind i de homoseksuelle fars liv. 🇳🇱 De gay dads-podcast wordt je aangeboden vanuit West Hollywood, Californië. Het is voor homomannen die vader zijn, die overwegen om vader te worden of voor degenen die graag een kijkje willen nemen in het leven van homo-vaders. 🇫🇷 Le podcast des peres gays présenté de West Hollywood, en Californie. C’est pour les hommes gays qui sont papas, qui envisagent devenir papas ou pour ceux qui aimeraient jeter un coup d’œil dans la vie des papas gays.🇩🇪 Der Podcast für schwule Väter wird Ihnen aus West Hollywood, Kalifornien, gebracht. Es ist für schwule Männer, die Väter sind, in Betracht ziehen, Väter zu werden, oder für diejenigen, die einen Blick in das Leben schwuler Väter werfen möchten.🇯🇵 ゲイのお父さんのポッドキャストは、カリフォルニア州ウェストハリウッドからあなたにもたらされます。それは、父親であるゲイの男性、父親になることを検討している、またはゲイの父親の生活をのぞきたい人のためのものです🇰🇷 게이 아빠 팟 캐스트는 캘리포니아 웨스트 할리우드에서 가져 왔습니다. 아빠가되는 것을 고려하는 아빠 인 게이 남성 또는 게이 아빠의 삶을 들여다보고 싶은 사람들을위한 것입니다.🇳🇴 De homofile pappapodcastene blir brakt til deg fra West Hollywood, California. Det er for homofile menn som er pappaer, vurderer å bli pappaer eller for de som vil kikke inn i livene til homofile pappaer.🇷🇺 Подкаст отцов-геев доставляется вам из Западного Голливуда, Калифорния. Это для геев, которые являются отцами, которые собираются стать отцами, или для тех, кто хотел бы заглянуть в жизнь геев-пап.🇲🇽 El podcast de papás homosexuales llega desde West Hollywood, California. Es para hombres homosexuales que son papás que están considerando convertirse en papás o para aquellos a quienes les gustaría echar un vistazo a la vida de los papás homosexuales.🇸🇪 Gaypappapodcasten kommer till dig från West Hollywood, Kalifornien. Det är för homosexuella män som är pappor, överväger att bli pappor eller för dem som vill kika in i homosexuella pappas liv.

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