http://www.menhavingbabies.org/index.htmlSurrogacy news for gay men worldwideenIntegrow2012-07-25T09:57:57-04:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Mon, 2 Jan 2012 09:08:59 -0500IntegrowSeminarsUSANY2012-07-25T09:57:57-04:00http://www.menhavingbabies.org/news/files/ny-surrogacy-seminar-benefits-financial-assistance-fund.html#unique-entry-id-11http://www.menhavingbabies.org/news/files/ny-surrogacy-seminar-benefits-financial-assistance-fund.html#unique-entry-id-11 We are proud to announce the eight annual New York Men Having Babies Seminar!  This year's event is going to be our first as an independent nonprofit organization, and proceeds will benefit our new surrogacy financial assistance fund. It will also feature an expanded day-long format, including several new sponsors and breakout sessions.]]>IntegrowMedia2012-05-12T19:01:23-04:00http://www.menhavingbabies.org/news/files/The-New-Normal-Gay-Surrogacy-TV-Show-NBC.html#unique-entry-id-10http://www.menhavingbabies.org/news/files/The-New-Normal-Gay-Surrogacy-TV-Show-NBC.html#unique-entry-id-10A new sitcom about a gay couple having a child through surrogacy, "The New Normal", will be featured on NBC next fall. According to an in depth interview with one of its stars, The New Normal will show "what kind of steps gay couples have to go through in the surrogacy process and how badly you have to want a child to go through all of that and the stress of it and the expense of it; it’s the details that I think a lot of heterosexual couples sort of can take for granted when having kids. We’ll get to show all of that process and how much love it takes to create a family..."]]>IntegrowLegalWorkshopsSeminarsNYFoundation2012-04-23T00:18:25-04:00http://www.menhavingbabies.org/news/files/network-future-discussed.html#unique-entry-id-9http://www.menhavingbabies.org/news/files/network-future-discussed.html#unique-entry-id-9On Thursday, April 19, we held a special meeting in NY to discuss the future of our Men Having Babies network. The group of volunteers who participated agreed unanimously on the following agenda:

• We will start the process of incorporating as a nonprofit organization.
• We will raise funds through event and website sponsorships + raise funds directly.
• The funds will first serve to continue to develop our workshops, events and online resources.
• We will add advocacy to promote greater understanding and acceptance of surrogacy as one of the network’s goals.
• We will work towards establishing a fund to provide financial assistance to gay men who want to become surrogacy dads!

Read more about the meeting and next steps. And mark your calendars: next meeting to discuss the future of the organization is Wednesday, May 16, 6:30pm in NY (details soon). ]]>IntegrowWorkshopsDirectory2012-03-27T14:52:10-04:00http://www.menhavingbabies.org/news/files/surrogacy-agency-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-8http://www.menhavingbabies.org/news/files/surrogacy-agency-reviews.html#unique-entry-id-8After receiving more than 120 surveys in the first 10 days, we already posted ratings and reviews on the surrogacy agencies and clinics that received most responses. The tables list overall score and highlights of results, and link to full reports (updated in real time) with much more, including comments and personal reviews. The four agencies that received a substantial number of reviews (8-17 each) are: Fertility Miracles, Circle Surrogacy, Tammuz and Family Source Consultants. Fertility Miracles have the top ratings (9.9 with 11 reviews), Tammuz so far has the lowest average journey cost (around $80,000). CT Fertility leads among clinics with 19 reviews and a score of 9.42. ]]>IntegrowWorkshopsDirectory2012-03-15T00:50:55-04:00http://www.menhavingbabies.org/news/files/surrogacy-surveys-launched.html#unique-entry-id-7http://www.menhavingbabies.org/news/files/surrogacy-surveys-launched.html#unique-entry-id-7We have exciting news! After more than 7 years of sharing our experiences in meeting, we decided to start the first ever systematic feedback gathering on surrogacy service providers and the needs of surrogacy prospective parents, in order to help future parents make more informed decisions.Now after months of work and with input from volunteers and professionals, we are launching two surveys to start collecting this feedback from the network's members. One survey is for parents, the other is for prospective parents. And after receiving more than 100 surveys in the first week, we already started posting initial results about agencies and clinics in our directory. ]]>IntegrowMediaUSAEuropeSeminars2012-02-17T21:17:39-05:00http://www.menhavingbabies.org/news/files/gay-parenting-information-sources.html#unique-entry-id-6http://www.menhavingbabies.org/news/files/gay-parenting-information-sources.html#unique-entry-id-6The major portal Fertility Authority published a story on the way prospective gay parents deal with the logistical, legal, practical and emotional questions they face in their surrogacy journeys. It deals with how concerns tend to differ for American versus European prospective parents, and the resources available to deal with what may seem as an overwhelming process. The article mentions our workshops and seminars, including the upcoming European Men Having Babies seminar this April in Barcelona.]]>IntegrowEuropeSeminars2012-02-15T16:48:00-05:00http://www.menhavingbabies.org/news/files/seminaire-gpa-salon-lhomoparentalite.html#unique-entry-id-5http://www.menhavingbabies.org/news/files/seminaire-gpa-salon-lhomoparentalite.html#unique-entry-id-5"Men Having Babies" séminaire sur le thème de la GPA et notre salon sur l'homoparentalité sont organisés dans le cadre d'une réunion de familles homoparentale de quatre jours à Barcelone en Espagne.

Nous sommes heureux d'annoncer notre séminaire sur le thème de la GPA et notre salon sur l'homoparentalité qui se tiendront le 29 avril 2012 à Lloret del Mar, près de Barcelone en Espagne. Ces évènements sont organisés dans le cadre d'une conférence et d'une réunion de familles homoparentales organisés par NELFA, le réseau européen de familles LGBT.]]>IntegrowUSALegal2012-02-05T13:51:27-05:00http://www.menhavingbabies.org/news/files/adoption-tax-credit.html#unique-entry-id-4http://www.menhavingbabies.org/news/files/adoption-tax-credit.html#unique-entry-id-4In our recent meeting some questions were asked about the amount and terms of the adoption tax credit LGBT parents can receive in the 2011 and 2012 tax years. We asked attorney Melissa Brisman to provide clarifications. It appears that in the 2012 tax year the amount is slightly lower and cannot be used to get a refund if you do not owe taxes, but for the first time the credit can be carried forward for additional 5 years. ]]>IntegrowBirth AnnouncementsWorkshops2012-01-13T22:07:15-05:00http://www.menhavingbabies.org/news/files/birth-asaf-eric-twins.html#unique-entry-id-3http://www.menhavingbabies.org/news/files/birth-asaf-eric-twins.html#unique-entry-id-3Congratulations to our NY group members Eric and Asaf for the birth of their boy & girl twins on January 13, 2012! Oz & Amalia are doing great and the family hopes to be back in NY by the end of the month.]]>IntegrowWorkshopsvideoSurrogateNYMedia2009-12-15T18:34:29-05:00http://www.menhavingbabies.org/news/files/gay-dads-surrogate-nyt-video.html#unique-entry-id-2http://www.menhavingbabies.org/news/files/gay-dads-surrogate-nyt-video.html#unique-entry-id-2

In December 2009 our group members David and Alex were featured in a documentary video made by the New York Times and titled: “Donors, Daddies, Surrogates, Lawyers”. The three, along with the little baby Jessica carried for the new dads, were our June 2009 Pride guests. Jessica is mom to 14 year-old Caleb and lives in a suburb of Nashville with her husband, Eric. Jessica is an ESL teacher and works with a variety of populations in and around the Nashville area. She is a first-time gestational surrogate, and describes the journey as “a most affecting and rewarding experience”.
]]>IntegrowWorkshopsvideoparentsMediaEurope2012-01-12T09:37:22-05:00http://www.menhavingbabies.org/news/files/surrogacy-kids-interview-documentary.html#unique-entry-id-1http://www.menhavingbabies.org/news/files/surrogacy-kids-interview-documentary.html#unique-entry-id-1At the October NY Men Having Babies workshop we hosted a TV crew filming for the Portuguese “Frontline” documentary show. The show aired on November 30th, and indeed it includes a nice clip from our meeting. They show also includes a rare interview of 11 year old gestational surrogacy kids (children of Ron and Greg from our group) about their origin and family makeup. ]]>IntegrowEuropeSeminars2012-01-11T09:09:30-05:00http://www.menhavingbabies.org/news/files/first-european-men-having-babies-seminar.html#unique-entry-id-0http://www.menhavingbabies.org/news/files/first-european-men-having-babies-seminar.html#unique-entry-id-0"Men Having Babies" - a annual Surrogacy Seminar and Exop in NY since 2005 - makes a debut in Europe on April 29, 2012 - Part of four-day LGBT families gathering near Barcelona, Spain.

The Network of European LGBT Family Associations (NELFA) will host the first "Men Having Babies - Europe" Surrogacy Seminar and Gay Parenting Expo on April 29, 2012. It will take place in Lloret de Mar, near Barcelona, Spain, as part of a 4-day conference and family gathering expected to attract hundreds of LGBT parents and parents-to-be. More than a dozen leading USA and European clinics and surrogacy agencies already signed up as sponsors and exhibitors, recognizing the growing interest in surrogacy in Europe. ]]>