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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (June 13, 2008)
JUNE 13,2008 Everyone needs a queer-specific tract at its Family Matters Conference, where Miller and John J. Weltman, president of Circle Surrogacy, were presenters in San Francisco in February. This was the first year the con ference was held on the West Coast. Silver and Schudde, 38-year-old gay men, chose to have biological chil dren. Their first two From left, Dakotah, Carrie and Shanon Adamson-John are a family with children, William, the help of Open Adoption fr Family Services. 4, and Bryn, 2, were bom using Silver’s DNA and a surrogate through “practice child, because they really had no Growing Generations. clue how to change a diaper.” Silver, who has a graduate degree in family and Lazzara and Garcia-Ottens, a couple of 17 children counseling and is retired, said he chose years, explored family planning options and de to use reproductive technologies because it “felt cided adoption felt right for them. comforting to have my genetic history involved.” Christian Hetchinson, 40, and his partner of Schudde, a former public administrator and 19 years, Timothy Kirchner, 42, weren’t quite now a stay-at-home dad, is attempting to have a ready to adopt, so they opted to become foster child using his DNA and a surrogate. parents as a “beginning step” into parenthood. While reproductive technologies are an emerg Hetchinson said they weren’t sure if they would ing option for gay family planning, it’s expensive, even be allowed to be foster parents, but with the and infertility issues can enter the picture. help of a private child service organization, they “I wanted to be pregnant for as long as I could have been foster parents to three boys between 12 remember,” said Shanon Adamson-John, who was and 15 years old for the past eight months. diagnosed with unidentified infertility. “My life “We thought it would be fun being foster par without a child wasn’t an option.” ents, and it’s been much more fun than we ever She and Carrie looked into adoption through expected it to be,” said Hetchinson, who is now Open Adoption & Family Services, and within a full-time foster parent while Kirchner manages three weeks, they adopted a son. The Adamson- a retail store. Johns were unusually lucky. Other than spoiling the boys, Hetchinson, Trish Calvin had difficulty conceiving when who plans on having a “steady flow of kids com she attempted to have a second child. She and ing through our house,” said the best part of be Jan, a couple of 19 years, not only added Alison, ing a foster parent is something significant: “We 4, to their family, but they also acquired two gay are able to give back to these kids something that godfathers and a godson in the process. maybe they didn’t have in their homes or their Ed Lazzara, 48, and Kurt Garcia-Ottens, 45, were personal history. already in Open Adoption & Family Services’ adop tion pool when they met the Calvins, who were For more information visit www. exploring adoption. At the men’s suggestion, the oregonreproductivemedicine.com, www.openadopt. Calvins joined the pool and adopted Alison before org, www.boysandgirlsaid.org and www.fyi3.com/ Lazzara and Garcia-Ottens adopted their son, Leo, 3. fyi3/states/oregon.cfm. “It was a blessing,” said Trish, recalling that Alison became Lazzara’s and Garcia-Ottens’ H eather C assell is a San Francisco freelance writer. a gOOd fairy 3 in their life! Why do my customers come bock again and again? Because we work our magic to make the mortgage process painless and fun. Find out for yourself! • • • • • • • • Free Loen Consultations First-time Home Buyers Refinancing Debt Consolidation 2nd’s & Equity lines Credit Challenged $0 Down Loans Reverse Mortgages jUStlOUtl 15 O«ur Family Rea/to. Since 1990 OÜ1 *ND PROUD SIN« I9?o * when you. buy or sell a home with me, you'll know your dollars are helping support a greater cause. 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