The Single Dad Who Had a Baby Via Surrogate

Chaz always pictured himself with kids of his own. Growing up in Brooklyn, “I was part of a Jewish community that’s very family-centric,” he says. Chaz’s immediate family — his mom, dad, and sister — was tight-knit, and holidays and other gatherings were joyful affairs filled with friends and their children. Chaz assumed that someday he’d add his own kids to the mix.

In his late 20s, Chaz came out to his family. He’d known he was gay for a long time, but he’d never doubted that he would one day become a father. “I kind of assumed I’d have a similar type of family to the one I grew up with,” he says. He also assumed he’d do it with a partner. But by the time he hit his mid-30s, Chaz was unattached. Gay friends in his circle were settling down and having children, many with the help of surrogates. Suddenly, Chaz found himself thinking about his own future and whether or not it would include kids. “I had to really contemplate if I wanted to do it solo,” he says. Seeing his friends thriving as parents gave him confidence that he could be a great dad, too. “It went from this hypothetical thing to ‘This could be real,’” he says. Chaz deeply wanted to be a father, he realized — whether he was partnered or not. “This idea of a two-parent family is kind of archaic,” he says. “I thought, I’m confident, I’ve taken care of kids. I can do it.”

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