Adam Joseph, the hunky meteorologist at 6ABC in Philadelphia, has grown his fan base by tenfold this week after coming out as a partnered gay man and beaming new father in one adorable Facebook post.
Reporting live from the hospital where they first held their newborn baby boy, Joseph says the couple is “ready to spoil him with unconditional love”:
The action news team has grown again! I am ecstatic to introduce Jacob, the newest love of our lives. My partner Karl and I welcomed him into our world on August 5th at 1:41am. He tipped the scales at 9lbs 1oz and was over 21 inches long! He was a bit stubborn to arrive, but once he did he’s been mellow, attentive, and constantly looking around. We are simply overjoyed and ready to spoil him with unconditional love!
//
On his decision to come out this week, Joseph told Philly.com that “while I believe every person reading this article should respect others’ privacy, I decided to share this personal moment for my son”:
I want my son to be proud of both his fathers. From the day he was born, I want him to understand that families come in all shapes, sizes and colors. In our eyes, as long as there is unconditional love for a child, it doesn’t matter who that child looks up to or leans on.
Was I hesitant? Maybe for one split second and then it passed. This is unconditional love and hope. I truly wish that every person wanting a family can feel this overwhelming happiness and joy.
…
As for the timing, we both worked very hard to get to the place we are today. This is not an easy journey to go on, both emotionally and financially. Karl is the perfect partner and we’ve built an amazing foundation together to be able to start our family. We’ve had endless love and support from family and friends.
He noted that the “very long, emotional journey” that brought him to this point in life was well worth the wait. Tears instantly flowed when I first saw his face,” he said, “even before he was placed in my arms. My dream of being a dad has become reality and so much more!”
Congrats, Adam and Karl!
Dakotahgeo
FANtastic news. Congratulations to this wonderful family, little one, and the two Dads!
Pastor George M Melby
Dxley
Everything and anything fascinating about a man flies out the window the day he gets married or has a child, but congratulations, Adam. All the best to you and Karl!
Jack Wilson
Congratulations, guys!
jwrappaport
I knew I should have stayed in Philly.
tdx3fan
I’m sure he is really happy, and this is great news for him.
However, I just have problems wrapping my head around the whole surrogacy thing. I have no problem with gay people raising children. I just wonder, with the amount of children out there that need good homes, why do we need to invent designer children just so we can carry on our own genetics.
Yes, gay parents can be as good of parents (if not better) than straight parents, but the stigma those children go through is still extremely heightened, and I just feel it is almost cruel and selfish to bring a child into the world knowing what they will go through because you made that decision to have them.
Alnbarthel
@tdx3fan: Why put dump your moral difficulties onto a couple who most obviously don’t share your negativity?
crowebobby
Don’t know how old the baby is in that picture, but he doesn’t have the shriveled new-born look at all. Gorgeous baby; lucky baby; hope it stays that way throughout it’s entire lifetime.
mz.sam
Hot daddies in Philly!!!
mcflyer54
@tdx3fan: The decision is theirs to make and theirs alone. If you feel strongly about fostering and/or adopting then it quite possibly is something you should consider but choosing it for others, or even questioning their decision, is unfair, unnecessary and intrusive. I have friends who foster, how have two adopted children and 3 of their own and they are constantly criticized by people when they go places with sometimes as many as 8 children. And whether you realize it, or agree, your comment is exactly the kind of thing that causes some children of gay parents to experience exactly what you say they are going to go through. People used to try and hide their opposition to interracial marriage by declaring it would be “hard for the children” when in reality they simply couldn’t stand the thought of people from difference races mixing.
alterego1980
@tdx3fan: Your first point is fine, I get that. Even out of cost if nothing else, adoption is the way to go for most people. And you wish them well and that’s great. But what is your point in your last paragraph? are you saying any child born to gay parents is a bad thing? Because that would be a horrible backwards outlook. A child raised by gay parents, whether adopted or born through surrogacy will go through unique challenges no matter what. It’s the same for straight parents too!! The world is what you make of it for you and your children. You are horribly negative and selfish to call out others for wanting to experience parenthood.
Franco C.
Awww…. sweet news.
Lvng1tor
Kinda odd….Adam has been out….or rather…never really in the closet. I’m happy for his family either way. He’s quite well known around philly and very well liked. I look forward to when this is no longer newsworthy. With people like he and his partner simply living an open life hopefully that will happen soon. They probably thought he had to do this in a more public way for the blue hairs and the lower class tp’ers so they didn’t get confused when he is out and about with a new baby in tow.
BTW…is anyone else getting the “Slow down you’re posting too fast” thing come up? This is my first post today and maybe two others this week. Queerty has the strangest list of banned words and odd software monitoring their posts.
Alan down in Florida
@alterego1980: I think your response to @tdz3fan is spot on except for the last sentence with the remark about experiencing parenthood. Where the dichotomy in this situation is between fatherhood and parenthood. I believe his point is that with so many children having no families available for adoption that gay couples can achieve parenthood with, it seems somehow narcissistic to create new babies solely for passing on your genes.
hyhybt
Another TV station still using the “Action News” name. Interesting.
@Lvng1tor: I’ve gotten that one occasionally too, and *never* from actually making multiple comments in quick succession. Also get the “you’ve already said that” duplicate warning sometimes even when I only clicked “post comment” once. Which is less annoying than, if it for some reason registers as two clicks, seeing duplicates you then cannot remove.
xzall
@Alan down in Florida: How many straight parents are accused of being selfish and narcissistic when they announce the birth of their child? So many kids to adopt and all those straight couples continuing to procreate and insisting on passing along their genes–something never said to any straight couple. Usually it’s just congratulations.
tdx3fan
@Alnbarthel: It has nothing AT ALL to do with morals. There is no moral aspect to it at all. Its simple fact that kids that are raised by gay parents are going to face a great deal of strife over that fact. Hell, I wish that wasn’t the case, but its just relatively inevitable… even in states where you think it shouldn’t be happening.
@mcflyer54: I have no problem with gay marriage. I have no problem with gay parenting, and I can see where you are coming from. However, I just feel that when you choose to have a child as a gay male couple you need to be aware of what you are going to put that child through culturally. Its still their decision, I just don’t know if they really thought it through, and I hate the fact that they feel the need to publicly share it with the world… there is an element of “look at me ain’t I cute this is my baby” in such an action.
@alterego1980: I agree with you. I actually, on an intellectual level agree with you a great deal more. I don’t want to insult anyone that makes the decision to have a child. However, on a personal level I just don’t like the idea of knowingly having a child in an environment that will be hard for that child. I think the solution is really to advance the culture not to criticize the parents. I just don’t think the culture is that advanced yet.
@xzall: I’ll say it about a straight couple, but your point is taken still. It just takes a lot more effort and planning to pass on your genes as a gay father than it does as a straight one (who normally becomes a dad when the condom breaks).
I want to be clear that I by no means think gay parents should be parents. I by no means want to judge them at all. I just have a dilemma when it comes to adoption versus surrogacy. Obviously, these two great guys decided they wanted to go the surrogacy route and as long as they take care of that baby the way I think they will they can deal with the amount of problems that come on when you become a parent. I just still think I would like the adoption route more. My partner on the other hand had his two kids the really old fashioned way (married a woman and stayed with her until the kids were mostly grown), and he is a VERY good dad although he is gay.
mikeg
@tdx3fan: Hey rdx3fan, I’m having a hard time following your reasoning here. I’m not sure if you’re just having difficulty expressing your point of view or what. I appreciate that you came back and addressed what the other posters said but I’m still having trouble with your logic.
I’m not sure it’s right to say kids of gay parents will face a GREAt deal of strife. Sure, they’ll face issues, but don’t you think it’s better than it was 5-10 years ago? And wouldn’t you hope it will be even better in 5-10 years than it is now? Insisting there will be a stigma is just sad. Isnt the fact that 2 gay men are having a child and less and less people seem to care and see it as a perfectly normal thing show the culture is changing?
And its just wrong and insulting for you to suggest that they “didn’t think it through”. Do you really want to suggest they didn’t put ample thought into a major life decision like bringing a child into the world? I hate the fact that you seem to want to judge others for sharing the joyous news that they have a new member of their family. I defy you to find ANYONE that doesn’t want to publicly share that news. The fact that you see that as a selfish look at me moment is disturbing and deeply cynical.
So you don’t think the culture is that advanced yet so you feel ok criticizing the parent then? Seems a bit backwards don’t you think? Are you really saying you have less of an issue with 2 people having a child they didn’t plan for than you do with 2 people who have thought about it, discussed it, weighed the pros and cons and ultimately decide that for themselves the positives of bringing a child into the world outweigh the negatives?
I’m not sure what your dilemma is with surrogacy vs adoption. But you can’t say that it takes more effort or planning. In a lot of cases adoption can take years and cost a fortune before the couple gets a baby. In a lot of surrogacy cases the surrogate is friends with the couple and volunteers and the process is easier, faster and cheaper than adoption.
Also, I want to say your phrase “invent designer children” is deeply offensive and troubling. What is wrong with anyone, straight or gay, wanting to pass on their genes? I implore you to ask every couple you see with kids why they decided to invent designer children instead of adopt and see what sort of response you get.
Just to be clear you said gay parents should not be parents. Is that really what you meant to say?
If you decide you want children and decide to adopt over surrogacy then good for you. No one will judge you for that, so try and refrain from judging others who pick differently than you.
Lastly, what exactly are your feelings about gay parents? You make a point of identifying your partner as a very good parent ALTHOUGH he’s gay. That seems like an odd qualifier to throw in at the end. Do you not believe that gays should be parents or that they’re not as good parents as straight people?
Saint Law
Nowt wrong with surrogacy. Money should not be allowed to change hands though, or you end up with rich men renting poor women’s wombs.
And that’s just creepy.
elSac08
Congratulations Adam and Karl. You are embarking upon the most incredible experience EVER!!!!!!! My sons are now 40 and 43; they have enriched my life in soooooo many ways. Enjoy every moment.
Ellis
Michael
Congratulations DADS
seaguy
It’s great but the only gay men I ever see who have children are usually wealthy and can afford the process of having a surrogate baby or even adoption which can cost $$. So whenever I see this kind of news my happiness is tempered by the fact that basically it is only the rich who can do this.
rhino79
It must be so very hard to live as a white, middle-class man in Philadephia. His bravery is truly inspiring. *eye roll*
Dxley
Come on, people. Can’t we just at least pretend to be happy for this miserable, defenseless little piece of shit and its queer, rich fathers? No one said they were brave. Money is their greatest weapon, not bravery. When you’re wealthy, most doors open, wombs even. After all, the only thing women are good for is baking children for men so that we can keep our genes and family names going.
enlightenone
@Lvng1tor: Have experienced the same, but only within minutes between posts. Given the timing it happened to you, I now think it’s just a “glitch” in the software. By the way, born and raised in Philly, now residing in SD, Cali. All my family still live there!
barkomatic
I’m not saying gay men don’t make great parents, but is there really any reason to go to such lengths to have a baby? The world has enough kids so gay people don’t need to step up and reproduce. Maybe if a plague wiped out 3/4 of the population I’d say it’s a social need that we all have kids. Just like many straight people, it seems more and more gays are buying into the notion that your life can’t be complete without children.
There’s something egotistical about the whole idea of surrogacy because it suggests that your genetics are superior and must be propagated even if the method is completely artificial.
Mikah
Lovely. 🙂
litper
@barkomatic: @Dxley: transoid anti-gay straight-worshippers…
DonW
@tdx3fan: Many kinds of kids face difficulties growing up. It’s almost certainly harder to grow up as a black kid in this society than as the the child of upper-middle-class white gays, so by your logic, I guess the moral decision for black adults would be to forgo parenthood. For the sake of the children, don’t you know.
LadyL
Congratulations and best wishes to the happy new dads!
Oh, and @mikeg: Thank you for your reply to tdx3fan; it is thoughtful and right on point. With great eloquence you said pretty much everything I wanted to say.
@Dxley: I don’t know what to make of your comment; maybe it’s a mistake to respond to it. If you’re kidding, the jokes are in poor taste.
If you’re serious, you can fuck off.
Terry
@tdx3fan:
So many people will say “those kids with gay parents will be picked on” To that, I say: Are you saying it’s okay? Will YOU be the ones making fun of those children?
Those people say that out of fake concern, but what they’re really saying is “It’s gay people’s fault for wanting to be parents”
AWG3126
I think all of this debate about who has children, adopts, uses surrogates, takes away from the main point here. Two great guys, who happen to be gay, have decided to raise a child.
CONGRATULATIONS to these two handsome young men, and may the Lord watch over them as they raise this child of God. I am sure they will be great parents, and will raise the child with all the love the child can possibly ever want or need.