Surrogacy workshops, seminars and exhibitions for gay prospective parents
Since 2005 our monthly workshops and the annual NY Men Having Babies seminar provided hundreds of gay men a comprehensive overview of surrogacy by panels of experts and peers. More recently we have been asked by LGBT parenting associations elsewhere to provide assistance in organizing similar seminars, starting with one on Ethical Surrogacy Practices in Paris (September 2011), the first European Men Having Babies in Barcelona, Spain (April 29-30, 2012), and Israel (February 14-16, 2013).
***Our next event: the 9th annual NY Men Having Babies will take place October 6, 2013!
***Our next event: the 9th annual NY Men Having Babies will take place October 6, 2013!
Note: We now have full video coverage of most of our seminars in our Video Library, including the recent NY, Barcelona, Tel Aviv and LA conferences! For those who missed it or need a refresher, the clips include an overview of the surrogacy and egg donation process by a panels of legal and medical experts, personal stories from gay parents, surrogates and egg donors, and breakout sessions by dozens of agencies and clinics.
Monthly workshops
Planning Surrogacy Parenthood by Men Having Babies
Our monthly NY workshop provides an opportunity to discuss in depth the legal, medical, financial, social and moral aspects of surrogacy and egg donation faced by gay men. The workshop is also an opportunity to get together with other gay men considering fatherhood, share information, provide mutual support, and to build a network of gay dads. 4th Wednesday of every month, 6:30-8pm, at the NYC LGBT Center. We also suggest links to workshops elsewhere in the USA and worldwide.
Upcoming seminars and exhibits
Men Having Babies / New York City, October 6, 2013
Men Having Babies and the JCC in Manhattan are proud to join forces to produce the 9th annual Men Having Babies Surrogacy Seminar and Gay Parenting Expo! It will take place on October 6th, 2013, at the JCC's facilities on Manhattan's upper west side. The Men Having Babies educational events are unique for offering unbiased information and resources focused on biological parenting options for gay men. Following the successful format of previous conferences in NY, Los Angeles, Barcelona and Tel Aviv, the upcoming seminar and expo will bring under one roof experts, parents and surrogates who will share their experiences, and representatives of leading clinics and surrogacy agencies from around the USA and beyond. Proceeds from sponsorship and exhibiting fees will benefit the Gay Parenting Assistance Program. While the event is directed at gay prospective parents, the presentations and resources it offers will benefit anyone interested in becoming a parent through surrogacy. Stay tuned for more details and registration information!
Past events
Men Having Babies West / Los Angeles, May 5, 2013
The first ever West Coast Surrogacy Seminar and Gay Parenting Expo took place May 5, 2013, at the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center’s Village at Ed Gould Plaza. The event was organized by the nonprofit organization Men Having Babies which has previously offered similar programs in New York, Barcelona and Tel Aviv. The groundbreaking event, designed to provide the most up-to-date information to gay prospective surrogacy parents, featured 20 American and international surrogacy agencies and clinics; personal stories of surrogates and dads who have gone through the surrogacy process themselves; and panel discussions featuring legal and medical experts, a special panel on parenting for HIV positive men, and information on both independent and agency-guided surrogacy. Twenty-four breakout sessions and an expo allowed prospective parents to become more familiar with exhibiting agencies and clinics, as well as supportive community organizations. As it is our custom, proceeds from sponsorship and exhibiting fees benefited our Gay Parenting Financial Assistance Fund.
Men Having Babies Israel / Tel Aviv, February 2013
In February 2013 Men Having Babies partnered with the Tel Aviv Gay Center to offer a 3-day international surrogacy conference that attracted about 200 intended parents, dozens of parents who came with their children for a surrogacy family reunion, 14 agencies and clinics from around the world, the Tel Aviv mayor, and much media attention. The program was an extended version of the successful format of our programs in the USA and Europe. The focus of the conference was on international surrogacy opportunities, mostly in the USA, but also Thailand, Mexico and Nepal. Proceeds from sponsorship fees benefited our Gay Parenting Financial Assistance Fund.
- See the event page for for the original event program.
- Read a report about the event.
- View the entire program in our video library!
- See photo album of event!
Men Having Babies / New York City 2012
The 8th annual NYC seminar took place on September 22, 2012. The event featured a record number of exhibitors, an expanded daylong format includes 24 breakout sessions, expert and personal stories panels, and a gay parenting exhibition. About 150 prospective parents attended the expo, and several large donations were announced to the Gay Parenting Financial Assistance Fund.
- Read a report about the event.
- View the entire program in our video library!
- See photo album of event!
Comedy fundraiser / community celebration featuring Judy Gold
On Monday, Oct. 1st we gathered for a night of laughs to benefit our new financial assistance fund! The event featured popular comedian (and gay parent) Judy Gold and a lineup of top gay and gay-friendly comedians as part of the monthly benefit program at the Gotham called "Alyse Kenny Presents...It's A Charity Thing!" We are proud to have raised a significant amount thanks to the participants and generous donations from our members for raffle: two Broadway tickets (courtesy of BJ Holt), a $100 gift certificate to the Bogota Latin Bistro restaurant (thank you George Constantinou and Farid Ali Lancheros!), and a set that includes a voucher for a free night of baby nursing services and a $100 gift card from Chapman Hill Baby, a baby nursing service and an online baby supplies and toy store.
Men Having Babies / Europe 2012
The first "Men Having Babies - Europe" took place in April at the Second European Conference of the Network of European LGBT Family Associations (NELFA), near Barcelona, Spain. The elaborate program included a comprehensive surrogacy seminar, a Gay Parenting Services Exhibit, and eight breakout sessions on topics such as ethical surrogacy practices, international surrogacy laws, know vs. anonymous egg donations, and speaking to surrogacy kids about their origin.
- View the entire program in our video library!
- See photo album of event!
Men Having Babies / NY 2011
The seventh annual Men Having Babies seminar and exhibit took place October 2, 2011.
Click on the image on the left for the seminar page, or you see the entire program in our video library.
Ethical Surrogacy Practices / Paris 2011
At the request of the French LGBT parenting association ADFH, we assisted in organizing a seminar in Paris on September 19, 2011. The well attended seminar featured several experts from the USA and France, as well as a surrogate and two parents. The focus was the practices that can allow people adjust their surrogacy journey to suite their ethical convictions. Click on the image on the left for the seminar page, or you see the entire program in our video library (English and French).
Photo albums from past events
Spain 2012 - The first European Men Having Babies Seminar and Gay Parenting Expo
NY 2011 - 7th annual Men Having Babies
Ethical Surrogacy Practices - Paris 2011
