Exclusive | Where to go, what to do? Family in Singapore’s gay surrogacy adoption case face life in limbo
A court decision leaves a new family uncertain whether their ‘illegitimate’ child – conceived by a surrogate in the United States – can go to school, or even if he can stay in the Lion City
Out of the three bedrooms in Noel’s home, two have been dedicated to the four-year-old — one for sleeping, the other for toys. There are a lot of toys, mostly gifts from family and friends. Noel is very much the apple of his parents’ eyes, and the extended family’s too. Both sides of the family gather every few weeks in Noel’s home, humouring him with endless games of hide and seek in the 1,450 sq ft apartment.
His arrival into the world in November 2013 was wanted, and planned for meticulously. His parents had eagerly awaited appointments to the obstetrician-gynecologist and consumed books on infant care and their development milestones — “At six months he may get a bout of fever along with some spots, but the spots should disappear after three days,” recited his parents.
Where will Indonesia’s anti-gay hysteria end?
While Papa James is his biological father, Daddy Shawn is not. Noel was conceived through assisted reproduction in the United States. Since James and the woman who birthed Noel are not married, Noel was born out of wedlock. He is also an American citizen.
The family has been given pseudonyms to protect the identity of their son.
James tried to remedy his son’s status, applying for a single-parent adoption that in Singapore would give James sole rights and responsibility to the child and remove the illegitimate label. James and Shawn were also hopeful that this would make it easier for Noel to get Singapore citizenship. The couple stressed that it was not about pushing any agendas for gay issues.
