England footballer hopes becoming a gay parent will send a positive message
England footballer Casey Stoney and her partner Megan Harris have announced that they are expecting twins, and say they hope being gay parents in the public eye will send a positive message.
The pair this week announced that they are expecting twins, and reports suggest that Harris is 22-weeks pregnant.
In a column for BBC Sport, Stoney, former England Captain, reflected on becoming a mum in a same-sex relationship, and that motherhood is taboo in women’s football because time off from playing is usually required.
She said: “Being gay parents may not be that common in football but, in my view, as long as children have the love and support they need, then it shouldn’t matter whether they are brought up by two mums, two dads or a mum and a dad. What does a normal family look like now anyway? There isn’t one and I would hope there would be no negativity around our situation.”
Describing the moment she and Harris discovered they were having twins as “the scariest and most amazing” moment of her life.
She continues: “Now I seem to be taking steps to stand out, which is a bit foreign to me. But I wouldn’t have done things like this if I didn’t feel comfortable with a fantastic partner and family around me.
“I’m proud of everything I’ve achieved and I’m not ashamed of who I am. Hopefully, when our two get older they will look at their mum and be proud too,” she concluded.
In an interview with the Lincolnshire Echo, Harris, who played with Stoney at Lincoln Ladies, said: “We talked about it before we started trying for a baby. There are not too many people in public life like us, so if we can do something to help others at the same time, that would be brilliant.
“It has been amazing, the amount of good will messages we have had… My Twitter timeline has been buzzing every minute with comments of congratulations.
“In there as well, though, are some really positive messages about being gay parents.”
