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.
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