April 5, 2022
Gay Australian Becomes Parenthood Pioneer; 1st Single Man in Victoria to Become a Dad Via Surrogacy
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 2 MIN.
Shaun Resnick, a gay Australian man, persevered against surrogacy laws in his successful quest to become a single father, Australian news site ABC News reports.
The 44-year-old naturopath resides in Melbourne, in the state of Victoria, where single men have not been allowed to have children using surrogates –�until now.
Resnick "made history as the first single man in Victoria to become a dad via surrogacy following the arrival of baby Eli Michael on March 22, three-and-a-half years after he began the process," UK newspaper the Daily Mail reported.
The article explained prospective parents looking to surrogacy "need to get federal government approval before they tackle Victoria's strict laws, a process notoriously impossible for singles."
But Resnick would not be deterred. He "came out as a gay man when he was 24, and always knew having a family 'was always going to be a bit more complex'," ABC News reported.
"Roundabout my thirties, I realized guys can have kids but I was waiting for Mr Right to come along," the new father told the media. "But, you know, nothing scares a guy off more on a first date than saying, 'Hey, do you want to have kids?' "
Resnick explained that he wanted to experience the same sort of close bond with his child that he'd had with his own parents.
He "endured a heartbreaking and unsuccessful journey with three other potential surrogates" before making arrangement with Carla Pincombe, who had carried a child for a same-sex couple, the Daily Mail rexounted. The stars aligned further last year, when Resnick "met mother-of-two Bree, who agreed to donate her eggs for Ms Pincombe to carry his child," the article added.
At long last, Resnick's dream of fatherhood was fulfilled. And that's not all: He found love along the way. Though he was unattached when he started out to become a father, "I'm now in a relationship," Resnick told the press.
"He's just joined us on this journey," the family man added. "The house is full with two dogs, a baby and a partner. All of those dreams have come true."
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
