Redefining fatherhood. A new book observes the gayby boom as surrogacy continues to grow in Australia.
Author Theresa Miller, explores IVF and other assisted-reproduction techniques happening in Australia in her new book, “Making Babies – personal IVF stories“. She offers 14 personal accounts from single mothers, and couples – both gay and straight. Each person interviewed for the book has been affected by the possibilities that are offered by in vitro fertilization (IVF).
IVF now accounts for three percent of all births in Australia, and with growing desire for children in the gay and lesbian community, Miller believes the amount will continue to rise.
The book’s publisher refers to Making Babies as:
“A collection of memoirs of personal endurance, loss, unwavering dedication and sacrifice and, above all, confirmation of the inexplicable love that stems from the act of becoming a parent – whether through natural means, reproductive technology, surrogacy, or adoption.”
Theresa and her husband have one daughter via IVF and one daughter who’s ‘home grown’ (her words).
Title: Making Babies – personal IVF stories
Published: September 3, 2007
Format: Paperback, 208 pages
RRP: $29.95
ISBN-13: 9781921215469
Publisher: Scribe Publications
Origin: Australia
Australia’s The Age reports that, “Victorian families with same-sex de facto partners and at least one child aged 18 or under grew by more than a third in the five years to the 2006 census.”
Victoria is a state located in the south-eastern corner of Australia. It is the smallest mainland state in area, but the most densely populated and urbanized.
The Age’s story continues, “Across Australia, there were almost 2400 families with at least one gay or lesbian parent, a jump of about 26 percent. If anything, these figures grossly underestimate actual numbers of gay and lesbian families, many of which are not comfortable publicly divulging details of their sexuality. But they offer a good guide to the increasingly pink face of Australian families.
“The most startling jump in Victoria was in gay families with preschool children, with the number of declared same-sex families with children aged four or under more than doubling to 167.”
The surrogacy debate among the states’ top lawmakers may lead to federal reforms that recognize same-sex parents.
Outreach for prospective and practicing gay fathers can be found at Gay Dads Australia.
