Gay dads put family first

When Dominic Gili set up the Gay Dads NSW group last year, his main aim was to provide a social outlet for other gay fathers.

But as the group grew to include about 60 gay fathers and intending dads, its scope moved beyond dinners and picnics.

I’m getting a lot of emails from men who are looking to be fathers but they don’t know how to go about it, Gili told Sydney Star Observer.

They’ve just been asking a lot of questions that I can’t personally answer.

In response, Gili, himself a father of two children whom he co-parents with two mothers, is organising Gay Dads NSW’s first information night on 3 April.

The evening will include two expert speakers and two gay fathers, who will share their parenting experiences.

I included two of the men in the group who have children, one via surrogacy and one via co-parenting, so it’s listening to personal accounts, Gili said.

Providing expert advice will be Paul Boers, a family law solicitor, and volunteer at the Inner City Legal Centre in Darlinghurst.

Boers will discuss the options for gay men wanting to start a family and provide information on who can be a legal parent and how to acquire legal parental responsibility.

Dr Kim Bergman, co-owner of US surrogacy agency Growing Generations and co-chair of US LGBT parenting advocacy group Family Pride Coalition, will also talk about how gay men can become fathers through surrogacy.

Gili is hoping for a strong turnout next month after an impressive response to the Gay Dads NSW stall at Fair Day last month.

At Fair Day we had a stall near Kidzone and we must have got a list of about 30 guys interested in joining us, he said.

Gay Dads NSW plans to hold similar information nights every three months.

The interest seems to be growing, I think, as the word is going out, Gili said.

The Gay Dads NSW information night is on Monday 3 April from 6:45pm to 9pm at the Twenty10 office, 43 Bedford St, Newtown. All are welcome and admission is free. RSVP by 27 March to [email protected].