Raised by Queers / Hollyoaks: Gay Dads Forever

Raised by Queers follows Hollyoaks actor and father-to-be Kieron Richardson as he goes on an extraordinary journey to find out what it means to be a queer parent. In this intimate film Kieron prepares for the imminent arrival of his twins, to be born via a surrogate mother, and meets with individuals and families from across the LGBTQ+ community. We watch the most personal moments of parenthood play out for Kieron as he explores the kind of world he is bringing his babies into.

The documentary celebrates fifty years of progress since July 1967, which saw the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in England and Wales. Kieron is a modern gay man, one who has embraced every legal milestone achieved since then, and has always dreamed of having children of his own. The film sees Kieron and his husband Carl entering fatherhood, and goes behind closed doors as they begin life as a family, with personal footage capturing their beautiful twins’ arrival.

Kieron meets with a surrogate mother and parents and children from same-sex families, to learn from those who have gone through these experiences before him. All this before rushing to the delivery suite to finally become a parent himself.