[Denmark] - Gay Penguins Become Fathers - Huffington Post

The Huffington Post is reporting on a wonderful and cute story out of Denmark about 2 gay penguins and their newest penguin chick baby.  Cute!!

In what the Toronto Star describes as an "apparent world first," a Danish zoo's King penguin chick has two "adoptive" fathers.

After a female penguin abandoned one of her eggs, zoologists at the Odense Zoo decided to see how two male penguins would handle the egg. As it turns out, they were "natural parents."

"With King penguins, they mix it between the male and female. One stands with the egg while the other goes to feed and then they shift," zoologist Nina Christensen is quoted as saying. "It was the same with this pair. They both incubated the egg.”

Odense Zoo's penguins aren't the first "gay" couple to become parents, even though they are a first as far as King penguins are concerned. Two male Chinstrap penguins at New York's Central Park 'adopted" and then reared an egg, as depicted in the controversial children's book "And Tango Makes Three." Meanwhile, zoologists at Germany's Bremerhaven Zoo helped two "gay" Humbolt penguins hatch and nurture an egg in 2009.

[Source: Original Article]

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[USA] - International Newborn Twin Insurance - New Policy for Surrogacy

Those of use who have done surrogacy in the USA know that the most expensive part of the journey for non-US citizens is obtaining Newborn Insurance. This has been a particular problem for those people who are having twins.  Unfortunately, newborn insurance in the USA is expensive and will likely remain so, but at least now there is a plan that can cover you - at a price.  However, considering the potential cost for a twin pregnancy that is premature, this is a very real and useful option.

For more information, visit NewLife Agency Inc.

[Source: NewLife Agency Inc]

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[USA] - Adolescents with Lesbian Mothers Describe Their Own Lives - Nanette Gartrell, Henny Bos H, Heidi Peyser, Amalia Deck, MSN, Carla Rodas

Following on from the last news story, here is some further information on that study showing that kids from Lesbian parented families are doing just fine (if not better)!!

"Teens with lesbian mothers are academically successful and happy with their lives. The 17-year-olds participating in the longest-running study of lesbian families had high school GPAs in the A- to B+ range, and nearly all planned to attend four-year colleges. These adolescents had strong family bonds, and they were nearly unanimous in describing their mothers as good role models. They also reported having numerous close friends—generally with same-age peers who were predominantly heterosexual. Most of the teens felt comfortable bringing friends home, informing friends about their mothers’ lesbianism and confiding in their mothers.

The teenagers were asked a series of questions about their everyday life experiences including academics, extracurricular activities, aspirations, friendships, family interactions, role models, health problems and wellbeing.   Notably, almost all of the 78 adolescents described their mothers as good role models. Prior studies on the same group of teenagers found that they demonstrated more competencies and fewer behavioral problems than an age-matched normative sample of American youth; although some adolescents with lesbian mothers had experienced homophobic stigmatization, family closeness helped counteract its negative effects.

The 78 adolescents in the current report were drawn from families that are participating in the National Longitudinal Lesbian Family Study (NLLFS), the longest-running and largest prospective investigation of lesbian mothers and their children in the United States. Initiated by Dr. Gartrell in 1986, the NLLFS examines the social, psychological and emotional development of the children as well as the dynamics of planned lesbian families.

The current study  appears in the current issue of the Journal of Homosexuality".

Click here for the full report.

Click here for the press release.

[Source: Original Article]

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[USA] - Children Of Lesbian Mothers Have Higher Grades And Happier Lives - Daley Quinn

Like we didn't already know this !

"Bad news for those who believe homosexual parents can negatively affect their children: a study of 17-year-olds who were raised by lesbian mothers found that they did well in school, with grades ranging from A- to B+, and were overall happier with their lives.

The study, lead by Nanette Gartrell at the Williams Institute of UCLA, titled “Adolescents with Lesbian Mothers Describe Their Own Lives,” has been a 26-year-long process.  Gartrell and her team studied 78 participants and just recently published their results in the Journal of Homosexuality.

Not only did the teenagers report having good relationships with their mothers, but they also shared with the researchers their strong relationships with other friends. Many reported feeling comfortable talking about their lesbian mothers, whom many considered their “role models.” In addition to their great grades, many planned to attend four-year colleges.

Gartrell added, “As a psychiatrist, I can say that these are the types of child-rearing outcomes that every parent hopes for.”

[Source: Original Article]

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[Australia] - ALICE: Alcohol and Lesbian/bisexual women: Insights into Culture and Emotions

The Department of General Practice, University of Melbourne is currently undertaking a study exploring health and the culture of alcohol use among same-sex attracted women (including lesbian and bisexual women).
The study has been funded by a grant from beyondblue.              

 The study is called ALICE: Alcohol and Lesbian/bisexual women: Insights into Culture and Emotions

They are looking for same-sex attracted women aged 18 years and over to complete an anonymous web-based survey that will take approximately 25 minutes. The findings of the survey will be used to provide recommendations for improving healthcare services for same sex-attracted women. We would be extremely gratefully if you would be able to forward this email to any people you know who might be eligible or post a link to the survey on your website, forum, Faceboook page or newsletter.

The web link for the survey is: www.alicestudy.net.au

Further information about the study is given at the beginning of the survey.

The Chief Investigator of this project is Associate Professor Ruth McNair from the Department of General Practice, at The University of Melbourne. If you have any questions about the research please do not hesitate to contact Ruth on: 03 8344 6077 or at: r.mcnair@unimelb.edu.au.

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[USA] - Huffington Post - Sophia Bailey Klugh, 10-Year-Old Girl With Gay Dads, Has an Important Question for President Obama - Jamie McGonnigal

With the wonderful news overnight of Obama's re-election and the success of the marriage equality votes in the USA, I thought it worthwhile sharing this wonderful story about a 10 year old girl with 2 gay dads.  Oh…and Obama.  It is great.

Here is what she wrote:

Obama wrote back.  Respect!

Dear Sophia,

Thank you for writing me such a thoughtful letter about your family. Reading it made me proud to be your president and even more hopeful about the future of our nation.

In America, no two families look the same. We celebrate this diversity. And we recognize that whether you have two dads or one mom what matters above all is the love we show one another. You are very fortunate to have two parents who care deeply for you. They are lucky to have such an exceptional daughter in you.

Our differences unite us. You and I are blessed to live in a country where we are born equal no matter what we look like on the outside, where we grow up, or who our parents are. A good rule is to treat others the way you hope they will treat you. Remind your friends at school about this rule if they say something that hurts your feelings.

Thanks again for taking the time to write me. I'm honored to have your support and inspired by your compassion. I'm sorry I couldn't make it to dinner, but I'll be sure to tell Sasha and Malia you say hello.

Sincerely, Barack Obama

[Source: Original Article]

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[United Kingdom] - Stonewall - A Guide for Gay Dads

Stonewall is one of the oldest and most respected GLBTI activist organisations in the world.  They put together, back in 2010, a "Guide for Gay Dads".  It is well worth a read.

At Stonewall we have worked hard to ensure that gay people can have and raise children like everyone else.  While our lobbying has helped changed the law – allowing gay couples to adopt, removing barriers to fertility treatment for lesbians and outlawing discrimination in goods and services, including organisations offering social and family services – there is still lots to do.

That is why Stonewall has published A Guide for Gay Dads, a new guide for gay men taking them through the choices available to them to starting a family. Not only does the guide give vitally useful legal advice on what parenting rights you may have in different situations but it gives you an overview of what you can expect from each route to becoming a dad. Given the recent changes to the law it is a must-read for any gay men considering starting a family.

• If you would like a free hardcopy of the guide, email us at info@stonewall.org.uk

• Click here to download A Guide for Gay Dads

It’s the latest in a programme of recent work to ensure lesbian and gay people can start families and bring up children free from homophobia. Earlier this year we published our groundbreaking (Different Families) research which for the first time allowed the overwhelmingly illuminating voices of children with gay parents to be heard and last year we published (Pregnant Pause), a guide for lesbians on how to get pregnant.

[Source: Original Link]

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[Australia] - GNN - Rainbow Families: Surrogacy - Andrew Shaw

A wonderful story by Andrew Shaw on the Gay News Network (GNN) about a young gay male parented family, Michael, Jared, Elijah and Huxley with a neat summary of surrogacy laws state by state.

More same-sex couples are raising children than ever before. In a special ongoing series, we look at how gays and lesbian are starting families. Here, Michael and Jared share their surrogacy journey with Andrew Shaw, a story that ends with the birth of their twins, Elijah and Huxley.

Michael, 31, and Jared, 29, are the fathers of Elijah and Huxley, fraternal twins who have just turned one. The Brisbane couple have been together eight-and-a-half years and decided to have children in 2008. Jared worked in real estate before becoming a stay-at-home dad. Michael, a public servant, says having kids has always been something they’ve thought about.

“We’d been a couple for about four-and-a-half years and we’d always spoken of it, but we were never on the same page at the same time,” Michael says. “Then we were lying in bed one night and Jared said, ‘Do you want to have kids?’ And I went, ‘Yeah, I do’. It had got to the point where technology had caught up and it was easier and a little bit cheaper and we both felt strongly about it.”

The pair began searching for a surrogate on the internet. Like any couple ‘trying’ for a baby, they wanted to surprise their families with good news so they told only a few friends. Commercial surrogacy – paying a woman to carry your child – is illegal in Queensland, so the well-regulated overseas surrogacy market seemed a good start. They found a woman in Nevada and established contact. The laws in that state offer good protection for both the surrogate and the fathers. “So we set up an escrow account, set up appointments, passports,” remembers Michael.

Then the woman’s fertility report came back: she had only a 3 per cent chance of becoming pregnant. “Considering the significant emotional and financial impact of continuing on this path, we decided that it would be best to seek out alternatives, possibly closer to home,” Michael says. “It was devastating for her, too – she didn’t know.”

Turning to Australia, they found a woman in rural New South Wales. “We tried the old turkey baster method,” Michael says. “Then we decided it would be best for her to come to Brisbane every month and stay with us for about a week to make sure we covered the whole fertile period of her cycle. We did that for six to eight months.”

But a health check revealed the woman had an undiagnosed medical condition and the arrangement was abandoned after 12 months’ effort.

The two men were on the verge of giving up, exhausted and stressed. “Because we had to keep happy faces for our families, we didn’t want them to know what we were doing,” Michael says. “There weren’t many people on whom we could lean.”

When all seemed lost, the mother of their children turned out to be living in the next suburb. “Through friends of a friend we found Rachel, who lived 15 minutes away. She had been a surrogate before; she had assisted the previous Labor Government in drafting legislation for the Surrogacy Act; she’d donated eggs before. It was everything it should be – everything aligned. We first contacted her on a Friday night and we were having lunch with her and her daughters on Sunday. She then invited us to meet her husband Sunday night for dinner and it all started from there.”

Because altruistic (non-paid) surrogacy is legal but strictly regulated in Queensland, Michael and Jared paid for all out-of-pocket pregnancy-related expenses associated with Rachel’s pregnancy, but no other payment was made.

Some couples insist that a surrogate play no part in the child’s life, but Michael and Jared wanted to include Rachel in the boys’ lives from the start. They hope the boys will visit their other family and have an ongoing relationship with their half-siblings. Michael explains: “There’s no point lying to the kids, they’re going to work out that two dads didn’t make them. They’ll call her Rachel. They’ll know she is their biological mother and she carried them, but they are not her children. Even when she was carrying them she said, ‘These aren’t my kids. You planned for them, you’re going to be looking after them. I’m the vessel for you to start your journey to parenthood.’

“They will know, more so than other kids, that we wanted them; we had to fight for them and do so much work. This wasn’t an accident, this was most definitely worked for and planned and desired and I hope they always know that, and that Rachel’s always there for them.”

And the family reaction? “When we told them they were just so happy for us,” Michael recalls. “My mum cried for three hours.”

[Image] Michael with Elijah and Jared with Huxley. Photo supplied

SURROGACY LAW

Altruistic surrogacy is legal, but heavily regulated, in all states and territories except NT.

Queensland
Legislation: Surrogacy Act 2010
Status: Commercial surrogacy banned anywhere in the world since 1988.

New South Wales
Legislation: Surrogacy Act 2010
Status: Commercial surrogacy banned anywhere in the world for those who reside in or are domiciled in NSW and who have not entered into a surrogacy contract as at March 1, 2011.

Australian Capital Territory
Legislation: Parentage Act 2004
Status: Commercial surrogacy banned anywhere in the world.

Victoria
Legislation: Assisted Reproductive Treatment Act 2008
Status: Commercial surrogacy banned only in Victoria. It does not ban Victorians from accessing overseas commercial surrogacy clinics.

Tasmania
Legislation: Surrogacy Contract Acts 1993
Status: Commercial surrogacy banned only in Tasmania. The Act does not ban Tasmanians from accessing overseas commercial surrogacy clinics.

South Australia
Legislation: Family Relationships Act 1975
Status: Commercial surrogacy banned only in South Australia.

Western Australia
Legislation: Surrogacy Act 2008
Status: Commercial surrogacy banned only in WA. However, WA regulator threatened with prosecution those mentioning overseas commercial surrogacy clinics.

Northern Territory
Status: Commercial surrogacy legal (but non-existent), it is legal for Territorians to access overseas commercial surrogacy clinics.

Surrogacy information in detail: www.surrogacyaustralia.org

[Source: Original Article]

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[Europe] - Invisible Parents - Same-Sex Parented Families in Europe

A short but powerful film from Europe highlighting the fact that our families are treated differently depending on the country they visit.  Check it out!

For thousands of children in the European Union, crossing borders can mean they're on their own. The reason is simple: when moving between one country to another, their parents are no longer recognised as their real parents - just because they're the same sex.  Watch this short film by Mike Buonaiuto.  For more information visit Invisible Parents for more information.

[Source: Invisible Parents]

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[USA] - California Enacts Landmark Legislation Giving Same Sex Parents Via Surrogacy Equal Parenting Rights

California is one of the most pro surrogacy place on earth and it is one of the reasons many Australia Gay couples head there to do surrogacy.  This news flew under my radar until today but it is great news.

Bill's Passage Is Culmination of 20-Year Campaign by Center for Surrogate Parenting - By Center for Surrogate Parenting

Legislative history was made on September 23, 2012, when California Governor Jerry Brown signed AB 1217, a ground-breaking bill that amends the Uniform Parentage Act and affords same sex couples conceiving children through surrogacy the same parental rights and protections as other parents in the state. California has taken the unprecedented step of changing the legal definition of "intended parent" to be "an individual, married or unmarried," making it legislatively illegal to discriminate against same sex parents both before and after their children are born from surrogacy arrangements.

California Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes sponsored the bill, which took two years to pass. This effort was spearheaded by attorney Bill Handel and Karen Synesiou, co-owners of the Center for Surrogate Parenting (CSP). The agency has been a pioneer in helping same sex couples create families and was the first in the world to help a gay couple become parents via surrogacy 28 years ago.  They collaborated with reproductive attorneys Andy Vorzimer and Dean Masserman to draft the law with Assemblyman Fuentes. CSP and the law firm of Vorzimer Masserman have earned a worldwide reputation for their work with gay couples in surrogacy arrangements, amongst them Elton John and David Furnish, proud parents of Zackary born in 2010.

In addition to founding CSP, Bill Handel is the most listened to radio talk show host at Los Angeles's KFIAM 640, and has been committed to LGBT rights issues for his entire 27-year broadcasting career. 

About the Center for Surrogate Parenting The Center for Surrogate Parenting (CSP) was established in 1980 and has over 1700 babies born to the program, making it the most experienced surrogacy agency in the world. Learn more at www.creatingfamilies.com.

Read more here

[Source: Original Article]

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[Australia] - Dad and Partner Pay - Australian Federal Government Benefits for Gay Dads

Dad and Baby Bonding

Dads and partners play an important role in the vital early months of their child’s life. To help dads and partners take time off from work, Dad and Partner Pay will be available to eligible working dads or partners who care for a child born or adopted from 1 January 2013.

It is a new payment under the Australian Government’s Paid Parental Leave scheme, providing up to two weeks of Government-funded pay at the rate of the National Minimum Wage (currently about $606 per week before tax).

A strong relationship between dad and baby provides an excellent start to healthy social, emotional and cognitive development. That’s why it’s so important that dads take some time off work, to bond with their new baby and to share the caring responsibility and support mothers or partners from the very beginning. Dad and partner Pay helps to provide financial support for dads and partners to be able to take time off from work to do so.

Dads can bond with their newborn through eye contact, cuddling, talking and smiling.  Babies love to hear the sound of voices, so talking, reading or singing to a newborn also helps strengthen the bond between parent and child.[1]

Dads or partners taking some time off work also have more opportunity to share and learn from the experiences of early parenting: exploring their baby’s moods and needs, establishing routines, and enjoying their emerging personality.

Working dads or partners, including those adopting and parents in same-sex partners, may be eligible for Dad and Partner Pay. For more information about the payment and eligibility, go to www.australia.gov.au/dadandpartnerpay

Introduction to Dad and Partner Pay 

Dad and Partner Pay provides eligible working dads or partners with financial support to be able to take time off work to bond in the vital early months of their baby’s life. An extension of the Australian Government’s Paid Parental Leave scheme, this new entitlement adds to the options available to support families to balance work and family commitments. 

Dad and Partner Pay is available to eligible working dads or partners (including adopting parents and same--‐sex partners) who care for a child born or adopted from 1 January 2013. Claims can be lodged up to three months before the expected date of birth or adoption. First claims can be lodged from 1 October 2012. 

Dads or partners eligible for Dad and Partner Pay will apply to and be paid directly by Centrelink. To lodge a claim, a dad or partner may register for Centrelink Online services at www.humanservices.gov.au, and complete an online claim, or call Centrelink on 136 150 to request a paper claim form. Claiming early, before the birth or adoption, and lodging proof of birth or entry into care as soon as possible, helps to avoid payment delays. 

Eligible dads or partners will receive up to two weeks of Government--‐funded pay at the rate of the National Minimum Wage (currently about $606 per week before tax) that can be taken anytime in the first year following birth or adoption. 

Eligibility

Full--‐time, part--‐time, casual, contract, seasonal and self--‐employed workers (including those who work in a family business) may be eligible. 

In order to be eligible, dads or partners will also need to: 

•           be caring for a child born or adopted from 1 January 2013 

•           be an Australian resident 

•           have worked for at least 10 of the 13 months prior to the start date of their Dad and Partner Pay period 

•           have worked for at least 330 hours in that 10 month period (just over one day a week), with no more than an eight week gap between consecutive two working days 

•           have an individual adjusted taxable income of $150,000 or less in the previous financial year 

•           be on unpaid leave or not working during the Dad and Partner Pay period. 

In addition to Dad and Partner Pay, families may be eligible for other family assistance such as Paid Parental Leave or Baby Bonus, and Family Tax Benefit. 

Claims must be lodged by the dad or partner who is eligible to receive the payment. 

Leave arrangements 

To be eligible for Dad and Partner Pay, dads or partners must be on unpaid leave from their employer or not working during their two--‐week Dad and Partner Pay period. Dads and partners will need to discuss and agree on unpaid leave arrangements directly with their employer. Dad and Partner Pay can be taken before or after employer--‐funded paid leave but cannot be taken at the same time the employee is taking paid leave. 

Dad and Partner Pay does not change any existing entitlements to unpaid parental leave under a current workplace agreement or law, and it doesn’t change your entitlement to unpaid parental leave under the National Employment Standards. Parents who have worked continuously for their employer for 12 months or more prior to the birth or adoption have an entitlement to up to 12 months of unpaid parental leave, under the National Employment Standards, with the option of extending that time by up to 12 months if their employer agrees. If both parents are eligible, they can take three weeks of their unpaid parental leave at the same time starting immediately after the birth, or by agreement with their employer, within the period up to six weeks after the birth. 

Parents who have worked for their employer for less than 12 months may negotiate unpaid parental leave with their employer. For more information about unpaid parental leave under the National Employment Standards, visit www.fairwork.gov.au 

More detailed information is available at www.australia.gov.au/dadandpartnerpay. 

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[Australia] - Green Left - Tassie Equal Marriage Bill Goes Down, But Campaign Vows to Fight On

Tasmanian Premier Lara Giddings
and Greens leader Nick McKim

Tasmania's upper house voted against equal marriage on September 26. The bill, co-sponsored by Labor Premier Lara Giddings and Greens deputy Nick McKim, passed the lower house on August 30.

But after a two-day debate, eight of the upper house's 15 MLCs voted against the bill, mostly fearing a High Court challenge and claiming that it was a federal and not a state issue.

Serious homophobia was also in play. Former Supreme Court chief justice William Cox said allowing same-sex couples to marry could also lead to same-sex surrogacy and adoption.

Same-sex surrogacy was made legal the week before the equal marriage bill. Same-sex adoption has been legal since 2003.

Tasmanian gay rights campaigner Rodney Croome said the idea of a High Court challenge had been highly overstated.

Croome said on October 8 that Australian Family Association lawyer Neville Rochow told Tasmanian politicians that an unsuccessful High Court challenge could cost the government up to $1.25 million. The advice “included a hypothetical case taken by a religious celebrant who refused to celebrate a same-sex marriage, as well as the costs of all the interveners in such a case.”

Under the Tasmanian equal marriage bill, no church or priest could be forced to marry anyone they didn’t want to. They can choose to marry or not marry individually.

Croome said the maximum High Court loss would be tens of thousands of dollars instead, a price worth paying considering the amount of queer couples who said they would travel to Tasmania to get married should the bill pass.

The shame the Tasmanian parliament should be feeling at voting down a bill that would make people of all sexual orientations equal in the eyes of the law, goes hand in hand with an awful history of gay rights abuses.

Tasmania finally legalised same-sex relationships in 1997, the last Australian state to do so. Just 15 years ago, being gay could be “punished” with a prison sentence.

The fact that so soon after that shameful history, the Tasmanian parliament had the opportunity to make same-sex marriage legal speaks volumes to the strength of queer rights activists in Tasmania and Australia.

The struggle for queer equality has been hard and incredibly successful. The issues and prejudice the queer community face have been pushed to the forefront of Australian conscience, thanks to a brilliant campaign that has seen huge advances in the past decade.

But homophobia remains and carries terrible costs. Same-sex attracted youth account for one-third of young people sleeping on the streets on any given night.

Depression and suicide are two to three times more likely for queer youth than straight young people.

Many are discriminated against and bullied because of their sexuality and more than 70% of this bullying goes on in schools.

There is still a lot of work to be done to rid society of homophobia.

The importance of mass mobilisation in stopping legal and social prejudice towards queer people has been made evident by the Tasmanian parliament.

Most people in Tasmania and Australia want equal marriage, yet the upper house still voted the equal marriage bill down, clearly showing an ability to completely ignore what a community wants or needs.

Young people make up a huge reason for why this campaign has come so far, and it is up to us to get active and mobilise, and demand of those in parliament that we will not be ignored, nor will the issues of the queer community.

[Source: Original Article]

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