A popular gay parenting seminar is going to Asia.
According to Reuters, the world’s largest “boot camp” to help prepare gay men for parenthood is having its first ever event in Asia.
Men Having Babies is a New York-based non-profit that hosts events across the globe to give LGTBQ people lessons on how to become parents. After hearing of the increasing attempts at surrogacy in the region, the organization decided to host an event in Taiwan.
“We have been witnessing over the last three years, a growing interest from Asia – mostly Chinese – intended parents coming to the United States for surrogacy,” said Ron Poole-Dayan, founder and executive director at MHB.
Between March 9-10 in Taipei, Taiwan, Men Having Babies will host a conference to support hopeful parents. Information will be provided to help gay couples, and singles, figure out the legalities and necessary steps in the process for surrogacy.
“Our conferences are not meant to persuade to become parents … they are meant for people who already want to become parents (and) to make the process more accessible and easier,” Poole-Dayan told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
“People are starting to realize …. the fact that they’re gay doesn’t mean that they’re not going to be able to have a full life including starting a family and having children.”
Several organizations like Taiwan LGBT Family Rights Advocacy, Loving Parents of LGBT Taiwan, and The Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership Rights are supporting this event.
Jay Lin, a gay activist in Taiwan, had two children through a surrogate in California and an egg donated from a close Taiwanese friend. Lin says that MHB is important because of its accessibility.
“MHB is important because it is difficult to gather sufficient, trusted information on the internet by yourself,” said Jay Lin.
“Also, when I walked into an MHB conference in San Francisco and saw hundreds of men of all colors and ages sitting there trying to start their own families, I knew that I was not alone and that I could do this.”
h/t: Reuters
