{"id":14716,"date":"2014-06-12T11:58:10","date_gmt":"2014-06-12T03:58:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=14716"},"modified":"2014-06-12T11:58:10","modified_gmt":"2014-06-12T03:58:10","slug":"new-website-gays-with-kids-seeks-to-showcase-and-offer-support-to-gay-fathers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2014\/06\/12\/new-website-gays-with-kids-seeks-to-showcase-and-offer-support-to-gay-fathers\/","title":{"rendered":"New website Gays With Kids seeks to showcase and offer support to gay fathers"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Photo<\/a>
Photo from gayswithkids.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

TORONTO\u2014When Brian Rosenberg and Ferd van Gameren first brought their adopted son home, the couple headed online to find other gay dads who could share similarities to their new experience\u2014only to come up empty.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlmost everything was written by moms, for moms,\u201d Rosenberg recalled. \u201cAnd we said: \u2018There\u2019s got to be something here that we can relate to that we felt talked to us.\u2019 And there was nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The couple started thinking about creating a community for fellow gay dads. But with newborn Levi at home\u2014later followed by the arrival of fraternal twins Sadie and Ella (born through surrogacy), they were busy enough with diaper changes and bottle feeds to add further to their list of daddy duties.<\/p>\n

With their son acting as ring bearer and daughters serving as flower girls, Rosenberg and van Gameren tied the knot on June 20, 2013\u2014their 20th anniversary. Recently, the couple marked another pivotal milestone: the launch of their website Gays With Kids.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s good for gay dads around the world\u2014especially in countries that are not very welcoming to gay parenting\u2014to see that they\u2019re not alone, to see that they\u2019re a lot of other gay dad families out there,\u201d said van Gameren, 54, seated alongside Rosenberg, 49, on their sun-drenched backyard deck in Toronto.<\/p>\n

The couple contributes posts about their parenting experiences as the site seeks to address issues of relevance to gay fathers. In \u201cYours Truly Mine,\u201d Van Gameren writes a touching letter addressed to Levi\u2019s birth mother about how he came to be part of their family, while sharing the boy\u2019s candid queries about why his skin colour differs from his younger sisters.<\/p>\n

The site currently features posts on subjects like known sperm donor arrangements and creating a family through surrogacy, as well as tips on raising a newborn, navigating the dating scene and dealing with life after divorce. There is also a family spotlight section with portraits of gay dad-led households.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne thing we\u2019ve found that has just been amazing is the great tremendous diversity in the way that gay dad families are created,\u201d said Rosenberg.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s been important to us since Day 1\u2014to make sure that we represent any gay dad out there, regardless of how he became a father.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rosenberg said the site also features writers and award-winning journalists that are covering \u201csome pretty cutting-edge topics\u201d he said aren\u2019t typically covered in-depth by the mainstream media. He points to a piece called \u201cPositively Dads\u201d about HIV-positive gay men becoming biological fathers.<\/p>\n

As Toronto prepares to play host to World Pride festivities later this month, Gays With Kids co-founder Jonah Arnold said they\u2019ve been thinking of families visiting the city and highlighting activities that would be of interest\u2014both connected to and outside of the event.<\/p>\n

Arnold, who is a straight married father of two, said having the chance to give a greater voice to dads online has made him a better father.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s made me think about all aspects of parenting without a focus on gender, with a focus on what\u2019s best for children: my children, what\u2019s best for Brian and Ferd\u2019s children and all of our collective children.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhether I learn from women or men, straight or gay, has really been less important to me. It\u2019s been very much a learning experience and I\u2019m very thankful for that.\u201d<\/p>\n

It hasn\u2019t taken long for the site to attract followers, crashing within a few hours of being up due to traffic, said van Gameren.<\/p>\n

The couple said they\u2019ve been hearing from people all over the world, including Australia, the U.K. and the\u00a0Philippines.\u00a0But Rosenberg said what\u2019s taken them by surprise is outreach from another unexpected group: moms of high school kids who have recently come out to their parents.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey think: \u2018Well, first of all, you\u2019ve showed us what life can be like for our child. And you showed our child what life can be like for them. And so for that, we\u2019re really grateful.\u201d\u2018<\/p>\n

As they work to give greater exposure to gay dads, the former New York residents have been encouraged by the increased recognition and rights being afforded to gay couples, particularly in the U.S. as more states move to legalize same-sex marriage\u2014a move van Gameren described as \u201clong overdue.\u201d<\/p>\n

The couple has also been buoyed by the increased visibility of same-sex couples and gay-led families in ad campaigns.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt creates a tremendous amount of goodwill in the gay community and in progressive communities,\u201d said van Gameren.<\/p>\n

But above all, both are relishing their roles as parents to Levi, five, and Sadie and Ella, aged 3 1\/2, an experience that van Gameren said has made their lives happier.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a lot of nieces and nephews who are much older than our children, and I always loved hearing \u2018Uncle Brian,\u2019 but I knew that hearing \u2018Daddy\u2019 would be just different,\u201d said Rosenberg.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd even though I knew that, it was still surprising to me how much more impactful and powerful that is to hear.\u201d<\/p>\n

Online<\/h6>\n

www.gayswithkids.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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