iChannel Talks Gay Parenting
With gay marriage now integrated fairly smoothly in Canada, and no overwhelming social collapse or cases of people marrying their dogs, it is reasonably safe to say that marriage is here to stay and has served to benefit those who it was intended to include. Now, some gay couples are ready to move onto the next step - raising kids. Despite the obvious biological barriers between individuals of the same sex having a baby, it is a growing trend.
Kevin O’Keefe, host and producer of iChannel, decided it was high time these issues come to the forefront, and pitched the idea to the head of programming. The response was overwhelmingly positive and resulted in a three part series called “Gay-by Boom”. “I thought we had reached a time in our society when this is a subject that is suited for more media coverage,” says O’Keefe.
This series covers the three most common methods used by gay couples to create their own bundle of joy: adoption, surrogacy and co-parenting.
Adoption has always been a popular option, although there are significant hoops for a queer couple to jump through. On top of that, there are difficult social consequences, as the rest of the gay community does not yet place a large emphasis on families.
Surrogacy is another popular method but the cost is usually the largest concern - often an upwards of one hundred thousand dollars - along with the logistical nightmares and ‘legal minefield’ of opting to use a surrogate mother. It is not a risk a lot of couples are willing to take. The couple shown in the episode, Drew and Sam, chose to have fertilized eggs placed in a surrogate mother, who gave birth to twin girls (a fairly common occurrence with invertro fertilization). Drew and Sam feel strongly about their decision and have a strong relationship with their surrogate mother. They make an effort to make it work and are thrilled with the result.
Co-parenting is an issue that came up recently in Canada, with the case of a young boy who was granted three legal parents - his birth mother, her partner and his biological father. It is an interesting variation of a nuclear family. The phrase ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ comes to mind. Though this method doesn’t require medical intervention, the legal complications still exist.
The series is handled very respectfully and offers an important look at the changing face of family that comes hand in hand with the changing face of queer politics; Kevin O’Keefe gives gay parents s voice. The show airs October 13th, 14th, and 15th, following national coming out day on October 11th. iChannel is available through providers all across Canada. For more information, visit www.ichannel.ca.

Canada’s New Dance Channel Pays Tribute to Queer Culture
The fall season of Canada’s first and only dance channel has taken the opportunity to reach out to the community by airing the top ten Gay anthems countdown, featuring coverage from Toronto’s 2008 Pride celebration.
It mostly features queer-positive artists or dance/club hits – not really queer political artists, but rather gay icons such as Madonna and Janet Jackson. Some stylistic hits from Gwen Stefani made the cut, as well as the simple “Gay and Proud” techno beat.
It’s good background music for a dance party, and fun look at the gay community. For more information, visit www.bpmtv.com