After a two-year break, gay men interested in building a family will gather in-person to learn how they can have children through IVF and surrogacy, and meet with over 20 gay-friendly surrogacy providers. The April 30th MHB South Surrogacy Conference will be held at The Pride Center at Equality Park in Wilton Manors. Despite some calls for a boycott, organizers doubled down with their determination to support Florida’s gay men in their desire to have families.
Each year, the nonprofit organization Men Having Babies (MHB) travels to a number of cities across the U.S. and internationally to share a wealth of knowledge with gay men aspiring to become parents. These events include peer guidance, expert advice, information about financing and grants, inspirational testimonies from surrogates and fathers, and an opportunity to meet dozens of reputable and ethical surrogacy providers.
“The infuriating ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill has obviously presented a challenge as we prepare for this event, as does the continued COVID-19 situation,” said Ron Poole-Dayan, Executive Director of Men Having Babies. “We had some calls to boycott Florida altogether, and one surrogacy agency decided not to attend. Some see any participation in Florida events (indeed, even a visit) to be an act of support for the state’s political leadership. MHB does not agree with such calls for an indiscriminate boycott. Instead, we feel prospective fathers and surrogates from Florida deserve more support than ever. And, together we will make the world a better place, one gay family at a time,” said Ron Poole-Dayan.
“We’re so excited that MHB is returning to Florida and will host their conference at The Pride Center,” says CEO Robert Boo. “We have a message for those who want to deny our existence: you cannot erase us. An estimated 4.6% of Floridians identify as LGBTQ+ and 24% of LGBTQ+ people in Florida are raising children. More than ever, our children and our families need love, strength and support. I’m grateful that MHB will be bringing their vital services of education and support to prospective parents and families in South Florida. Together, we can pursue our mission to ‘provide a welcoming, safe space—an inclusive home—that celebrates, nurtures and empowers the LGBTQ+ communities and our friends and neighbors in South Florida.”
As for COVID-19, MHB continues to take public health measures to make their events as safe as possible given the evolving nature of the pandemic. “Now that vaccinations alone do not guarantee that no transmissions will occur, we will be providing COVID-19 self-tests on-site so that all attendees can verify their status before checking in for the event. We also ask everyone to wear masks unless actively eating or drinking,” said Jenny Congiardo, MHB’s Director of Operations.
With the exception of a single conference in Taiwan, the pandemic caused many MHB events to shut down. MHB paused in-person conferences until only a few months ago. Speaking about the limitations of their virtual conference strategy Ron Poole-Dayan said, “We used specialized virtual conference technology to offer guidance to the best of our abilities. However, the complex process and highly personal nature of surrogacy parenting requires an immersive and personal experience, and a comprehensive educational agenda that is beyond the attention span of virtual events.” With early implementation of a comprehensive COVID safety protocol, MHB was able to safely host hundreds of prospective parents in New York, Chicago, and Brussels. Indeed, feedback from both attendees and exhibitors indicated that effective interactions were possible while no adverse health incidents occurred.
The full-day event on April 30th at The Pride Center will kick off with workshops and panels that lay out the major legal, medical, and financial considerations to take into account while planning a surrogacy journey. Given MHB’s primary advocacy goal to broaden access to affordable parenting options for gay men, several sessions will be dedicated to ways in which prospective parents can make the process affordable. Topics will include how to budget smartly, how to take advantage of financial assistance and member discounts by MHB, and what opportunities are available to receive coverage of surrogacy related medical costs as part of employee benefits or state-mandated insurance.
One popular MHB panel event is Personal Stories. Attendees hear the real stories of local gay dads and the surrogates who helped them build their families. Advice is also presented for specific parenting situations, such as dads single by choice, which is a growing phenomenon. Proceeds from the conference’s sponsorship fees benefit MHB’s Gay Parenting Assistance Program (GPAP), which provides dozens of prospective parents with over a million dollars’ worth of cash grants, discounts and free services on an annual basis, from over 100 leading providers.
The majority of the 21 exhibitors at the MHB South conference are supporters of GPAP, as well as the organization’s Membership Benefits Program. These include Platinum sponsors: Simple Surrogacy and Fertility Specialists of Texas, and Gold sponsors: IVF Florida, Same Love Surrogacy, San Diego Fertility Center, Family Source Consultants, Atlantic Shared Beginnings, Family Formers, and Surro Connections.
Registration for the Men Having Babies South Surrogacy Conference and more information is now available at http://www.menhavingbabies.org/south.
About The Pride Center at Equality Park
The Pride Center at Equality Park celebrates 29 years of service in 2022. Our mission is: “We provide a welcoming, safe space–an inclusive home–that celebrates, nurtures, and empowers the LGBTQ+ communities and our friends and neighbors in South Florida.” We are your local LGBTQ+ community center. Support, social, and educational programs, groups, and activities focus on holistic health, Active Agers, people living with HIV/AIDS, women, recovery, people of transgender experience, communities of color, spirituality, families, young adults, the arts, men, athletics, skills-building and more. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and YouTube! Learn more at: PrideCenterFlorida.org.
About Men Having Babies
The nonprofit Men Having Babies (MHB) is dedicated to providing gay men with educational and financial support to achieve parenthood through surrogacy. Each year, thousands of attendees benefit from unbiased guidance and access to a wide range of service providers at workshops, virtual events, and conferences worldwide. MHB’s Membership Benefits Program offers peer guidance and access to exclusive discounts from surrogacy providers, and for those with financial need, our Gay Parenting Assistance Program (GPAP) annually provides over $1,000,000 worth of cash grants, discounts and free services. MHB’s online resources include a directory with ratings and reviews of agencies, clinics and law firms, FAQs, a video library, Ask the Expert articles, and a research library.
Website: https://MenHavingBabies.org
Content Courtesy of Men Having Babies
