“I knew about Gay Adoptive Fathers of New England (GAFNE) several months before I met the group. I was nervous and wasn’t sure what to expect, as I was afraid of being judged,” said Chip LaRiviere, married father of five in Shrewsbury and member of GAFNE.

As a gay adoptive father, I can really relate. I have been to several of the GAFNE outings, too. It does require a leap of faith to go, but since we knew there was at least one common identity, I was willing to take that leap.

Chip went on to say, “My family can be a handful. When my family went to the first meeting, it was at Elm Park, and I just remember leaving feeling how wonderfully accepting the other dads were of my family.  Over the past almost two years, other dads comment on the GAFNE page and share personal information and ask a lot of questions. I would urge other dads to join us. If not at get-togethers, then simply on the Facebook page sharing their life experiences, stories and pictures of their families. Other dads need to know that they are not alone. Most of us have adopted children through the state or are in the process. We all have a story or experience to share in a safe and nonjudgmental environment!”

Several gay dads started GAFNE, but Joe Sandagato and Richard Benoit were really the driving force. I have known Joe almost since we moved here eight years ago because he is also active in the Pride community, which I led for more than five years. Joe is a real adoption advocate, in addition to his many other hats. He and his husband of 23 years have adopted seven children over the span of their relationship.

We spoke recently about the new direction and name the group is taking. Joe said that the GAFNE group has grown, but also the community has broadened in such a way that they saw it was necessary to evolve to meet the current needs of the community. Joe founded Caring Families Together to bring together various aspects of his volunteer outreach and community support initiatives to meet the growing demands of the LGBTQ+ community. Richard, co-founder of GAFNE, has been a community advocate for more than two decades in the areas of child welfare, family education and mental health support services. He has been involved in numerous LGBTQ+ support initiatives over the course of his service.

GAFNE is now Caring Families Together! Caring Families Together was founded to promote social connectivity, education and advocacy for LGBTQ+ families and LGBTQ+-friendly families Today, more than ever, we need a supportive community where LGBTQ+ and LGBTQ+-friendly fathers, mothers and supportive family members can come together to share stories of hope, liaise with other like-minded people for support and meet other parents who share the same LGBTQ+ unique life experiences. Join a group for online and in-person support in the Meet-Up and Community Education and Support groups.

The new website caringfamiliestogether.org outlines not just the gay dads group, but it highlights other groups, including a mother’s forum and an LGBTQ+ family forum for those families who want a more diverse atmosphere. Joe is available through the website or at jsandagato-cft@outlook.com.

Have an idea for a new column topic? Email John@JohnArt.com.

John Trobaugh