“I always knew I was going to be a parent,” says Joel B. New. “It truly felt like a calling from a very young age.” As a young queer person, Joel remembers reassuring his mother when he came out: being gay didn’t mean giving up on the dream of family. That commitment to parenthood would carry him through heartbreak, healing, and reinvention—eventually guiding him to his husband Yancy and their son, Ange.

Joel and Yancy live in Astoria, New York, where Joel works as a professional development manager by day and a musical theatre writer by passion. Yancy is a freelance chef. The two met at a Pride party in 2022, and just two years later, they tied the knot. But Joel’s parenting journey actually began before they met.

“I even started the process as a single person, fully prepared to parent on my own,” he recalls. “Meeting my husband along the way was unexpected, but beautiful.” Joel had considered different family-building paths, but adoption resonated most deeply. “It just made sense to me, especially as a queer person, to open my heart and home to a child who needed one.”

It was a GWK Academy event in New York City in 2022 that introduced Joel to You Gotta Believe (YGB), an adoption agency that specializes in finding permanent families for older youth in foster care. “When I learned there were kids in the system already on the path to permanent placement, something clicked,” he says. “It felt aligned with my values, my strengths, and the kind of difference I wanted to make.”

Joel had enrolled in GWK Academy to guide his journey and through the in-person event, connected with YGB. “They met me with open arms, zero judgment, and an incredible depth of knowledge,” Joel says. “From the initial training through post-placement support, they’ve been there every step of the way.”

Today, Joel and Yancy are dads to Ange, an 8-year-old full of creativity, curiosity, and sparkles. “The best part is the connection,” says Joel. “That sacred, everyday bond that builds through breakfast giggles, bedtime talks, inside jokes, and even the tough moments.”

Parenting, of course, has its challenges. “The hardest part is knowing how much I want to protect my kid from everything—and realizing I can’t,” Joel admits. That’s especially true when navigating the world as a queer family. 

“One area where bias shows up in real time is when kids don’t fit neatly into others’ expectations. Our son has a bold, creative spirit and isn’t afraid to like what he likes—but not everyone knows how to respond to that. Navigating those moments as two dads has been… illuminating. What matters most is that our home is a place where he feels safe, seen, and celebrated.”Joel and Yancy have made it a priority to create a home where Ange feels safe and celebrated for exactly who he is.

In their home, being queer is “not just accepted—it’s celebrated.” They talk openly about different types of families, celebrate Pride together, and raise their son to embrace who he is. “The way he embraces glitter, bold fashion, and a whole lot of heart gives me hope that we’re doing something right.”

Reflecting on the journey, Joel urges other LGBTQ+ people dreaming of parenthood to trust in their path. “Let go of the ‘shoulds’ and embrace the beauty of different,” he says. “Your path to parenthood might not look like anyone else’s, and that’s not a flaw—that’s a strength.”

Joel’s story is a testament to that belief. Through GWK Academy and the support of YGB, he’s built a family rooted in authenticity, love, and joy. “Every day we’re writing a new kind of family story—one that’s chosen, queer, open, and fiercely committed.”