It wasn’t until 2017 that the United States Supreme Court ruled both same sex spouses to be listed on birth certificates, a decision that has since legalized same-sex adoption in every state — a decision that came just two years after Obergefell v. Hodgeslegalized same-sex marriage. In the intervening years, new families have emerged, blossomed, and grown, expanding the restrictive structures foisted upon us by a repressive cisheteronormative system of power.
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In the new book, Dads (powerHouse Books), Belgian photographer Bart Heynen offers an intimate, tender look at nearly 50 families headed by two men, which gently yet substantially subverts prevailing archetypes of fatherhood. Often depicted as domineering, emotionally unavailable, or all together absent, American fatherhood has suffered under the weight of the patriarchy, which stymies men’s abilities to express vulnerability and unconditional love.
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Heynen’s journey to create these portraits began in 2016 while watching Hillary Clinton’s concession speech. Determined to be the change he wanted to see in the world, he began reaching out to gay parents to explore a new model of fatherhood now being introduced to the world. Seeking understanding for those who shared his path, Heynen recognized he was part of a new generation who could reimagine the ways in which fatherhood is experienced by children and parents alike.
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