Elton John, Baby Zachary: Icon Fears Son Will Face Two Dads Stigma

Posted on Feb 10th 2012 11:00AM by Contessa Gayles

Elton John AIDS book Dave M. Benett, Getty Images

Elton John is a proud gay man and recently become a proud father when he and his partner David Furnish welcomed son Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John on Christmas day (Dec. 25) 2010. However, the pop icon is well aware of the prejudices that exist against gay parents and their children, and has admitted that he and Furnish are seeking counseling in order to help their son face the inevitable stigma of being raised by two dads.

Now 13 months old, Zachary was born via a surrogate mother, and has brought endless joy to his two fathers. However, Elton's filmmaker partner David reveals that being a parent also brings new concerns. In an interview with Britain's Attitude magazine, Furnish explains: "I think he's going to have a lot of attention thrust upon him. He's going to be potentially doubly stigmatized, because one of his parents is extremely famous and because he comes from two dads."

Furnish then revealed that he and his famous partner have already sought professional help in order to be prepared for what lies ahead. "We've taken advice from counselors. We've put a whole scrapbook together about his creation, the people who were involved in the process and how the intent was about love," he said. "We're going to raise him to be proud of who he is," Furnish added.

John and Furnish have had a long history of struggles when it comes to same-sex parenting. In September 2009, before little Zachary was ever conceived, John announced his intention to adopt a 14-month-old boy, Lev, from an AIDS orphanage in Ukraine. John, who entered a civil partnership with Furnish in December 2005, was denied largely due to his marital status.

Watch 'It's a Boy for Elton John'

Watch Elton John's 'Tinderbox' Video

Follow @AOLMusic on Twitter | Like AOL Music on Facebook | Sign Up for Newsletter

Download Elton John Songs | Buy Elton John Albums