In recent years, many famous LGBTQ+ celebrities have graciously shared their family-building journeys with the public, helping to raise awareness of LGBTQ+ parenting and inspire new intended parents (IPs). In honor of Father’s Day and Pride Month, Reproductive Possibilities is pleased to share two very inspirational stories from famous gay dads who attained their family planning goals with help from gestational surrogates.

Sir Elton John & David Furnish

Renowned British singer-songwriter Sir Elton John and Canadian filmmaker David Furnish have a birth story that has inspired many people in the LGBTQ+ community and beyond. The couples’ civil partnership began in 2005; they later married after same-sex marriage was legalized in the UK in 2014.

In December 2010 on Christmas day, the two dads welcomed their first child, Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John. Being parents was a dream come true for the couple, who expressed their gratitude for the arrival of their son, and for the surrogate, whose identity was kept confidential. On January 11, 2013, the couple welcomed their second child, Elijah Joseph Daniel Furnish-John, via surrogacy as well. Again, the couple expressed joy and love publicly when their second son was born.

Throughout their careers, Elton John and David Furnish have advocated for LGBTQ+ rights, using their influence to raise support for diverse charities and increase public awareness. As a same-sex couple, they have shared their experiences of becoming parents, hoping to inspire others and help break down the general public’s barriers to same-sex parenting. 

Andy Cohen

Television talk show host Andy Cohen, best known for Bravo TV’s Watch What Happens Live, is a single gay dad with two kids born via surrogacy – a son, Benjamin Allen, born in February 2019, and a daughter, Lucy Eve, born in April 2022. Baby Lucy was among the very first babies to be born via gestational surrogacy in New York City. Cohen explained in an interview with People Magazine that he wanted to become a father even if it meant doing it on his own.

According to the New York Department of Health, gestational surrogacy (i.e., a surrogate who uses an egg donor or IP’s egg for fertilization) was illegal in the state of New York until the Child-Parent Security Act became law in February 2021, legalizing the process. “I helped get that law passed, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo, he really made it happen,” Cohen was quoted as saying in an interview with USA Today. 

The three-year age gap between Cohen’s children was linked to his desire to have his second child born in New York. “I went to Albany a couple of times, and I was out there trying to get (the law) passed. I wanted my surrogate to have the baby in New York, and so Lucy was one of the first surrogate babies born here,” Cohen explained. “Thank you to my rock star surrogate (ALL surrogates are rockstars, by the way) and everyone who helped make this miracle happen,” Cohen wrote in an Instagram post.

You can find Cohen’s latest book about single parenthood, called The Daddy Diaries: The Year I Grew Up here.

Happy Pride from Reproductive Possibilities

The stories of Sir Elton John and David Furnish, as well as Andy Cohen, serve as powerful examples of the transformative impact of surrogacy on LGBTQ+ families. These famous gay dads have not only achieved their family planning goals but have also used their platforms to raise awareness and inspire others in the LGBTQ+ community and beyond. As we celebrate the achievements and resilience of LGBTQ+ parents, let us also recognize the invaluable contributions of the surrogates who make these dreams a reality. Every surrogate is a true rock star, selflessly giving the gift of life and helping create loving families.