November 15, 2004

It's Raining Men: Gay Dads In New Orleans

Sheesh. Times-Picayune writer Barri Bronston spent so much time following Chris and Dale Liuzza around, it's like having a built-in sitter. I hope they put him to work. The result is a long, engaging tale with stories that'll sound familiar to almost every new dad:

Except for an occasional wail, Seth slept through most of the flight [home from the surrogate's place] to New Orleans. With experience baby-sitting their 5-month-old nephew, the Liuzzas felt they were well-prepared for their new roles as Daddy (Chris) and Dee Dee (Dale). But after 15 days of waking up every two to three hours to feed him, exhaustion had started taking its toll.

"You get so overwhelmed with the sudden changes in being a parent," Dale said. "Everything revolves around him -- when he eats, when he sleeps, when he gets a bath."

"At first we were hoping for twins," said Chris. "But now we're relieved it was just one."

There are cameos by loving in-laws, the fledgling gay parent support group, the happy rabbi [funny, no mention of the mohel], and the disapproving old neighbor, along with product placements for two-dad baby memory books, story books, even a dig at "Mom's #1 Choice," Baby Einstein ["That really bothers me. Why can't it just say, 'Parents' No. 1 Choice'?"]

It all sounds great, and then one night while they're watching the World Series BAM!: "In an hour or so, Dale and Chris will gently rouse Seth from his sleep, check the bruise on his head and give him a bottle." The kid's 10 months old, and they're waking him up to feed him?

Everyday Dads [Times-Picayune, via Towleroad]

3 Comments

I suspect the bottle had to do with the baby hitting his head earlier in the day and going to the doctor. Probably they were told to wake him to check that he doesn't have a concussion.

i like it

Who cares about these 2 gay men? There are lots of daddies who deserve praise for bringing home the bacon and making a difference in their kids lives? What makes these 2 so special? Dale probably stays home and Chris works? So what? IT sounds like a REAL normal couple...the husband works and the wife is a stay at home mom? Big deal....find real stories about great fathers and write about them. In most instances most men would not support two gay men raising a child, but here you seem to glorify it and push it on everyone?????? Get a life and write about what matters!!!!!

[i was about to delete your comment, CC, since you used a pseudonym and a fake email address, and since you sound like a bigot. But instead, I'll point out that you made this comment about an 18-month-old story, which you either had to comb through Google search results for, or comb through my site's archives for. Point 1. Point 2, unlike you, I haven't combed through my site's archives seeking out all the gay dad stories, but I'd guess there are probably about five of them like this, max, in nearly 3,000 posts over the course of two+ years, a tally which even by the most bigoted conservative standards cannot be called "pushing it on" you or anyone else. And Point #3, if these people sound like a "real normal couple," then perhaps I--a man who's part of a 'real, normal couple' along with my wife--can learn something from their parenting example that will be of use in my own parenting. Because at the moment, that's what's important to me in my "life," not surfing the Net looking to hate on strangers just trying to do right by their kids like these guys apparently are. So if you have something to say that you're willing to put your name on, by all means, get your own damn blog. -ed.]

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