More gay men seeking surrogacy

PinkNews logo with white background and rainbow corners

More single gay men are becoming fathers, according to surrogacy groups.

Many of the single men choosing surrogacy today are gay, according to Gail Taylor, president of Growing Generations, a gay-and-lesbian-owned surrogacy agency in California.

Ms Taylor revealed this fact during an interview for the Pioneer Press, a Minnesota newspaper.

Taylor also told the Press that the number of single surrogate dads in the US has risen around 20 percent in the past two years.

In the Twin Cities, surrogacy is particularly popular: Another source interviewed by the Press-Steven Snyder, who is the director of the International Assisted Reproduction Center-said the number of single men choosing surrogacy has risen 50 to 75 percent over the past few years.

That may be because in the Midwest, as Snyder noted, surrogacy costs considerably less than it does on either the West or East Coasts-around $60,000 versus $80,000-$100,000.

One question that immediately pops up is: Why are so many men choosing to go it alone? After all, unlike women, men can have kids at almost any age.

Well, one reason may be that though men can have babies at almost any age, they can’t raise them at any age. In other words, you try playing catch with a 5-year-old when you’re 75.

Chuck Stroebel, a Minneapolis single gay man who had a baby through surrogacy, told the Press, “I realised I was turning 40. I didn’t want to be too old while raising a child. I needed to move it along if it was going to happen at all for me.”

Another question is: why surrogacy?

Stroebel said he wanted surrogacy instead of adoption because he desired a child who would have his genetic makeup, and he “wanted to be involved with the process from the beginning.”

Also, surrogacy, which once didn’t have the best reputation, has become “a much more visible and socially accepted practice,” Snyder said.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch also took note of this: “On the television show Friends, Phoebe carried her brother’s triplets, and Desperate Housewives added a surrogate-mother story line last season.”

But it’s not just in fictional series where surrogacy is being highlighted: The Discovery reality series A Baby Story featured surrogacy, and the recent film Paternal Instinct on Cinemax’s Reel Life showed two gay men using a surrogate. “Celebrities, such as Joan Lunden, are publicly admitting to using surrogates,” as well, says the Post-Dispatch.

So should you consider surrogacy, if you are a single gay man? Stroebel said: “It’s been the best decision I’ve made.”

Advertisement Remove ads

© 2006 PrideParenting.com; All Rights Reserved.

Comments (0)

MyPinkNews members are invited to comment on articles to discuss the content we publish, or debate issues more generally. Please familiarise yourself with our community guidelines to ensure that our community remains a safe and inclusive space for all.

Loading Comments