When David Morgenstern became a dad, he set out to find community. Specifically, he wanted to connect with other gay dads who understood the unique parenting situation he was in. This proved more difficult than he anticipated and he didn’t feel seen in today’s marketplace. “So I decided to create what I couldn’t find,” he explains.
David set out to create a brand that centers on the needs and experience of gay dads. “Maybe 90% of parenting is the same,” he tells me. “But there’s the 10% that no one is speaking to, and we need to focus on that and tell those stories.” What does he mean? Gay dads have unique experiences when it comes to raising their kids. Changing tables in public restrooms? Strangers making assumptions about them or their kids? How about those pesky forms that need to be filled out for daycare and school and pediatrician appointments? “I wanted someone to say, I see you and hear you,” David explains.
His original vision for Gaddies started with apparel, drawing inspiration from his experience at Nike. “I got tired of guessing whether a dad at the park was one of us or just another hipster with a hoop earring,” he says. “So I started thinking about fun, IYKYK products that could help us find each other and build real-life community in a safe way.” But for David, it was never just about the clothes. “I wanted to use physical products and digital storytelling to celebrate and inspire us.” When it comes to gay parenting, he sees a gap: “There are plenty of resources on how to become a parent, but far fewer for those of us who are parents and need community. So let’s tell those stories—whether it’s navigating ‘Where’s the mom?’ questions or preparing for bra shopping with your kid.” David is excited to feature and highlight gay dads who are experts in these topics, ensuring that the conversations are led by those who live them every day.
When we talk about how much parenting is focused on moms and the straight community, David mentions how we often qualify same-sex families, pointing out whether the kids were adopted, or maybe they used a surrogate. David wants to “focus on the family, not the formation,” and spotlight the everyday experiences of gay dads.
Right now David is loving his “Caught in a Dad Romance” line of apparel. “Working with incredible queer designers to bring this to life was so fun,” he gushes, and he’s proud to be one of the builders of gay dad culture. “A lot of this is anchored in the gratitude of being able to parent as myself, and never taking that for granted.” It’s also important for him to honor those who fought so that we may love and parent freely. Gaddies commits to carrying this fight forward by donating a portion of their profits to organizations that support and empower LGBTQ+ families.
You can shop for Gaddies apparel right here at Pink Robin, or explore their online marketplace and Instagram for resources and stories of gay dad life.
Hey there. Laura Leigh here. I’m a wife, writer, mama, small business owner, podcast host, and the Head of Content here at Pink Robin.
I love supporting the queer community and bringing shared experiences to life.
If you have a story to tell, I’m here for it.
la********@pi***********.com
I remember when my wife and I first became moms, I knew that our ability to “pass” was behind us. I was never going to pretend that my wife and family were something other than exactly who they were. It was freeing to know that I had to live my queer life out loud, that I would forever be myself in every space, all the time.
In a 2023 CNN article Daniel Korschun, associate professor of marketing at Drexel University explained that when it comes to supporting the LGBTQ+ community, executives “are becoming much more skittish about taking these stands and making strong statements.
According to a 2022 Pew Research Poll, roughly eight-in-ten U.S. adults say there is at least some discrimination against transgender people in our society. Because trans rights have become such a contentious issue across the country, companies that used to view supporting pride as “low stakes” have become less likely to support the LGBTQ+ community as a whole. “The pendulum is swinging a bit back … toward a more conservative approach, where they’ll be less vocal,” says Korschun. According to a recent NBC News article, Target stores will only sell pride merchandise in select locations this year. The retailer will not have Pride collections in about half of their locations. Additionally, they will only sell pride merchandise for adults.
An argument that Target has made in the past and is now using again is that this decision protects their LGBTQ+ employees, but let’s be clear: Conditional allyship is not support. Pulling queer merchandise from their shelves and essentially pretending that we don’t exist–and ignoring those of us who have children that want to celebrate pride with us–is detrimental to our community. Erasure threatens our safety. This weekend my mom told me that she’s done with Target. Like her, I can’t say I feel good about spending my money in a place that doesn’t value my family. As of today, the ACLU is currently tracking 515 anti-LGBTQ bills in the U.S. We exist, and abandoning us only endangers us.
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