My Blog: Elton John Joins List Of Gay Celebrity Fathers

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Elton John Joins List Of Gay Celebrity Fathers

Ricky Martin and Neil Patrick Harris are just a few gay stars who have started families.
By James Dinh

Elton John
Photo: Neil Mockford/FilmMagic

Christmas Day was more than just a festive holiday for Elton John, as he and his husband, David Furnish, welcomed their first child, Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John. The monumental occasion puts the iconic singer into a league of fellow gay celebrities who have ventured into the world of parenthood.

Take a look at these other gay stars-turned-fathers:

Ricky Martin
Martin didn't officially come out until earlier this year, but the Latin pop star started a family a few years ago. In August 2008, the singer became a proud father of twin boys, Matteo and Valentino Martin, who were born via a surrogate. In an interview with People, the former Menudo ,member revealed that fatherhood "has been the most spiritual moment in my life."

Neil Patrick Harris
With just a 140-character Twitter message, the "How I Met Your Mother" star announced to the world that he and longtime partner David Burtka were expecting twins. Just a few months later, the Emmy-winning actor took to the social-networking site again to reveal the arrival of Gideon Scott and Harper Grace with the help of a surrogate. Prior to the twin's birth, Harris researched his role as a future father, admitting to People, "I'm trying to read as much as I can, and prep as much as I can. But there's only so much you can do because each baby is super individual and totally their own person."

Clay Aiken
While his sexuality had always been speculated about, Clay didn't come out until the arrival of his son, Parker Foster Aiken, in 2008. Earlier that year, it had been reported that the former "American Idol" contestant had artificially inseminated friend and music producer Jaymes Foster. In a statement on his website, Aiken gushed about his newborn, saying, "The little man is healthy, happy, and as loud as his daddy. Mama Jaymes is doing quite well also."

B.D. Wong
"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" actor B.D. Wong and his longtime partner Richie Jackson suffered a setback in their road to fatherhood when the couple lost one of their newborn twins 90 minutes after birth. The twin boys were born 11 weeks premature through a surrogate mother with Wong's sperm and an egg donated by Jackson's sister. One of the boys, Jackson Foo Wong, survived and inspired the actor to write a memoir called "Following Foo."

Related Photos