Maryland-based blogger Brent Almond initially set out to collect family photos from same-sex parents like himself for a light-hearted Father's Day post.
But as his community shared their experiences, Almond found himself moved by "all they went through to get married, to build their families," the blogger told BuzzFeed Life. He asked participants if they could share their stories as well as their photos:
Brian, Ferd, and their 3 children (below) are finally moving back to New York after spending several years in Toronto awaiting legislation that would allow US Citizen Brian to sponsor his Dutch husband for a green card.
Patrick and Juan (below) already had four children together when same-sex marriage became legal in their home state of Florida. They tied the knot last year.
Greg and Brian went through four adoptions to legally call both of their children their own.
Before their baby was born, D.C. dad Bryce (with his husband and daughter, below) told Almond "I thought we would be painfully visible."
Massachusetts dad Henry explained to Almond that marrying his husband Joel meant that "our family is recognized, safe and complete, and that simply can’t be described."
Dad-of-four Rob told Almond that “Even though we had a marriage certificate, it wasn’t until the Supreme Court ruling that we really felt the effects — that Reece, being a stay-at-home dad, would be taken care of if anything were to happen to me.”
While Florida dad John told Almond that he was incredibly gratified to finally be a part of a loving family, he also added “There are no women in our house to tell us fart jokes aren’t funny.”
Almond writes that these represent just "a fraction of the tales that have paved the long, bumpy road to equality — and the reasons these dads love (or look forward to) being married."
Read more stories like these on Brent Almond's blog Designer Daddy.
