I’m going to Hong Kong and Beijing: are you coming too?

I’m going to Hong Kong and Beijing: are you coming too?

On 11 and 12 May I will be in Hong Kong, speaking at the first Asia-Pacific Rainbow Families Forum. Amongst other duties, I will be speaking at the showing of the Australian film Gayby Baby at the Australian consulate- and later speaking with surrogacy advocate Richard Westoby, who will be hooked in via the web.

I encourage anyone in the region to attend- and by all means say hello in Hong Kong- or let me know in advance if you are thinking of attending.

Hopefully the event will bring a much needed focus in the region that rainbow families exist, aren’t going away anytime soon, and ought to be recognised.

The simple fact is that many of us want to be parents- and the internet and modern medicine have enabled that to occur. While governments might want to put the genie back in the bottle- that simply won’t happen.

As Sir David Attenborough put it so eloquently: “If you watch animals objectively for any length of time, you’re driven to the conclusion that their main aim in life is to pass on their genes to the next generation. Most do so directly, by breeding. In the few examples that don’t do so by design, they do it indirectly, by helping a relative with whom they share a great number of their genes. And in as much as the legacy that human beings pass on to the next generation is not only genetic but to a unique degree cultural, we do the same. So animals and ourselves, to continue the line, will endure all kinds of hardship, overcome all kinds of difficulties, and eventually the next generation appears.”

Before I get to Hong Kong, I aim to get to Beijing –  and hope, as a good friend and colleague of mine has said to me- to be engaged in Asia!

Request an Appointment
Fill in the form below to find out if you have a claim.
Request an Appointment - Stephen Page
Things to Read, Watch & Listen

Relocating with children: what Australian family law requires

Relocating after separation can be an entirely understandable decision. A parent may have a new job, family support, a new relationship, financial pressures or a desire to make a fresh start. But when children are involved, moving a considerable distance can have serious family law consequences. A relocation is not simply about where one parent… Read More »Relocating with children: what Australian family law requires

Australian citizenship surrogacy: Home Affairs wants more proof

Australian intended parents pursuing surrogacy overseas need to be ready for a growing paperwork burden when applying for Australian citizenship by descent. A birth certificate alone may no longer be enough. Recent applications indicate that the Department of Home Affairs is increasingly asking for detailed evidence of the surrogate’s pregnancy and birth records, alongside evidence… Read More »Australian citizenship surrogacy: Home Affairs wants more proof

Why adoption has become “institutionally invisible” in Queensland

Queensland’s child protection system is facing an urgent and deeply troubling question: why are children who cannot safely return home being left in state care for years, often moving from placement to placement, without genuine consideration of adoption? The recent Child Safety Inquiry has put that question squarely on the table. Its findings are confronting.… Read More »Why adoption has become “institutionally invisible” in Queensland

Family Law Section Law Council of Australia Award
Member of Queensland law society
Family law Practitioners Association
International Academy of Family Lawyers - IAFL
Mediator Standards Board