Qantas Sucks

Well…just tried to publish my blog entry from the Qantas Club lounge. Appeared to publish ok HOWEVER when I went to view it their Trend MicroScan software is set to block it because it deems it a SEX site. Fucking stupid QANTAS! Other sites like 365gay.com (a news site) is also blocked. I will be writing a very stern letter upon my return!

The Final Journey Begins….

We are sitting in the lounge at Sydney International Airport waiting for our plane to take us to New York. We started the morning early in Melbourne. Both awake at 4am….well, neither of us really got any sleep. We don’t know whether it is anxiety, nerves, fear, excitement or a combination of all of them, but we really didn’t get any sleep last night. It is likely that this time next week we will be fathers! Kelly will have given birth and helped us realise our dream. Hopefully, a week or two later we will be back home. It has been an amazing emotional journey for us to get to this point. Anybody who has done surrogacy knows what we mean. But soon Ethan Kai will come into this world and become part of our family. We can hardly wait!

Countdown Begins!

In about 2 weeks time Jeff and I will be in Ohio, USA for the birth of our son, Ethan Kai. It has been an exciting and fairly smooth run for Jeff and I with this surrogacy. Kelly, our surrogate, has been wonderful, however we think that she is keen to have her life back a bit especially since Ethan seems to be quite an active baby. We plan on making this the “news” site for our family, and particularly the upcoming birth.

Phillips Ormonde & Fitzpatrick Christmas Party

The Phillips Ormonde & Fitzpatrick, Phillips Ormonde & Fitzpatrick Lawyers and IP Organisers Pty Ltd 2006 “Christmas Party” was held last night. Here are a few pictures from the evening!

15 December 2006 – Phillips Ormonde & Fitzpatrick Christmas Party

Family Court of Australia – R & J and Anor [2006] FamCA 1398

FAMILY LAW – CHILDREN – Application by father as donor for contact to child born of artificial insemination – Child living with mother and co- parent in same-sex union – Bitterly contested applications resolved with defining of “family” and role of the donor in these circumstances – Observations made concerning status of known sperm donor and impact upon children of enduring conflict between parents – Order for costs in favour of the Independent Children’s Lawyer refused.

[Link: Court Decision]

What’s Wrong with Gay Marriage

There were a series of commercial run on TV in Canada prior to the Canadian Parliament voting to make Same Sex Marriage legal in Canada. The ads are clever and highlight the point well. What a absolute shame that we have two totally homophobic main political parties in Australia.

Sociology – "Stigma or respect: lesbian-parented families negotiating school settings" by Lindsay, Jo; Perlesz, Amaryll; Brown, Rhonda; McNair, Ruth;

Qualitative family interviews were conducted with lesbian parented families in Melbourne to explore the dialectic between schools and families. While in many schools family members were stigmatised and burdened by secrecy and fear about their family configuration, there was a significant minority who felt respected and supported in their school environments, finding acceptance socially and within the curriculum. The contextual factors, including location and family formation, are discussed, and opportunities for change are identified.

[Source: Sociology v.40 no.6 Dec 2006: 1059-1077]