Q Dear Consulting Room I was on a camping holiday recently with my wife and two kids. There was an evening BBQ at the campsite and all the families joined in. We were the only same-sex couple there. Some boys of around 10 years old were playing together near us, wrestling on the grass. One…
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Unsung LGBT heroes… James Barry
James Barry, unsung hero Military surgeon James Barry was born around 1789. In 1809 he began his studies at Edinburgh Medical School, before travelling to London to complete his training as a surgeon. From there he enlisted in the British Army and traversed the globe, rising through the military ranks. By the end of his…
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Being a lesbian grandparent
From lesbian feminist to gay granny Penny Ward is 62 and looks after her two grand-daughters regularly. Here she reflects on coming out when her sons were young, their paths to parenthood and being comfortable with her sexuality when others were not. “Cover yourself up, Granny!” I am taking my eight-year-old grand-daughter swimming. “Most grannies…
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Celebrities & their pets
Proud of our pets! Just as much a part of the family as anyone else, we all love our pets, and celebs are just the same! 4 stars 'fess up... Paul O’Grady & Olga Comic genius-turned-national treasure Paul O’Grady is well-known for being an animal lover. “I’m very lucky,” the farm-residing TV presenter told Gay…
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Parenting a trans child, part 5
Squiggles finds his name What’s in a name? If we’re talking about the ones we give ourselves – or the ones given to us by our parents – a lot. Harriet Doyle continues the story of life with her adopted trans child. Most of the time our own names carry a lot of pride, heritage…
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Co-parenting with Charlie Condou
Daddy, Muma and Wawa: co-parenting with Charlie Condou, his partner Cameron and good friend Catherine You may know him as Marcus Dent in Coronation Street but Charlie Condou is passionate about gay parenting and whenever possible talks openly about co-parenting his children Georgia, 5 and Hal, 2, with his partner Cameron (the kids call him…
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Choosing a fertility clinic
Lesbians & fertility treatment: how to choose a clinic Many lesbians wanting to start a family choose to go to a clinic for treatment and use donor sperm, but with many clinics competing for your business how do you decide where to go and what treatment to have? Helen Priddle, Embryology Lab Manager at the…
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Inter-partner egg donation
Making Tayt: inter-partner egg donation Purdey and Maddie both always wanted children, and combining inheritance with money from a house sale they could afford IVF treatment. They decided Purdey would carry Maddie’s fertilised egg – called inter-partner donation. Here they share their journey. Maddie: “We always had the idea of carrying each other’s child.” Purdey:…
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Surrogacy in the UK: a personal story
A story of surrogacy in the UK: first steps on a journey Paul Gittins is in the early stages of planning his family. He explores the emotions that have emerged as he and his partner Bryan decide to try surrogacy in the UK. "The decision has been a long time coming for us. We’ve been…
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Shared breast-feeding: induced lactation
Shared breast-feeding: one couple's story of building the bond One lesbian couple explains why having both mothers breast-feed was a positive way to start their parenting journey. Jane*, 30 and Sarah*, 34, have just finished weaning their daughter Lily*, now 8 months old. As a lesbian couple who wanted to be equal parents from the…
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