Rebecca Madsen from Gay Parents Australia

Rebecca Madsen from Gay Parents Australia

Earlier this week I had the pleasure of meeting Rebecca Madsen, the founder of Gay Parents Australia.

Necessity, they say, is the mother of invention. As a new mum, Rebecca quickly discovered that there was a lack of support online for gay and lesbian parents, so decided to fix the problem- by creating her own website, as this story from the ABC makes plain.

Rebecca was keen on making sure that there are resources available for gay and lesbian parents, who according to the latest research, are doing a good job in caring for kids.

Good on her! We don’t have to earn a degree or even finish high school to become parents. For LGBTI newbie parents there has been a lack of support. After all it was only in 2012 and 2013 that in my home State of Queensland, for example, the Australian Christian Lobby ran the line, opposing the recognition of lesbian mums, and opposing surrogacy for gay, lesbian, and single intended parents- because, said the ACL every child deserved a mother and a father.

Is it any wonder that there has been a lack of support?

Good On Rebecca. I wish her and her website the best of luck. The more support that can help parents of kids, so that those kids are nurtured, and loved, and don’t fall between the cracks, the better.

Things to Read, Watch & Listen

Australia’s Surrogacy System is Broken — Here’s What Needs to Change

Surrogacy in Australia is at a critical crossroads. Families are increasingly forced to look overseas to start or grow their families, surrogates often find themselves without clear legal protections, and children born through surrogacy face a tangled web of legal uncertainty.

Surrogacy Nightmare: Aussie Couple Referred for Criminal Charges After Overseas Baby Journey

Surrogacy can be a beautiful path to parenthood, but it also comes with intricate legal challenges, especially when undertaken overseas. In a recent and cautionary case from Queensland, Australia, a couple’s journey to parenthood through commercial surrogacy in North Cyprus ended not with joy alone, but with legal turmoil and potential criminal charges.

NSW Surrogacy FAIL: What Lawyers Got Wrong and How to Avoid It

Surrogacy journeys should be joyous and smooth pathways to parenthood, but unfortunately, legal missteps can turn them into complex, frustrating ordeals.

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