My Two Dads

We’re always skeptical about reality shows that promise to change perceptions, but unlike The Real World,Trading Spouses,Amish in the City, et al, FX’s 30 Days tends to take the high road. Produced and narrated by Super Size Me director Morgan Spurlock, the series has brought an unemployed programmer to his outsourced job in Bangalore, a pro-choice woman to an anti-abortion clinic, and a straight Christian into the heart of the Castro. Partners Dennis and Thomas Patrick must have had a good feeling about the show too: For the June 24 episode, “Same Sex Parenting,” they invited Kati, a 40-something straight mom who thinks gays and lesbians shouldn’t be allowed to have kids, to come live with them and their four adopted sons -- for an entire month. Were eyes opened and fences mended -- or did the two sides drift even further apart? To find out, The Advocate contacted Dennis and Thomas, who spoke to us from their Ypsilanti, Mich., home. 

What possessed you to get involved with the show?Dennis: Well, they came to us -- they must have found an interview I did online. We didn’t have a burning desire to be on reality TV, but I thought it was a real opportunity to make a difference. I said if someone stayed with us for just one day, they would see how loving our family is. And we thought we could get more gays to think about adopting or fostering children. There are 500,000 kids in foster care and 110,000 waiting to be adopted.

Thomas: I was more reluctant. It seemed like one more intrusion in our lives. It was the end of summer and school was starting up. [Laughs] But Dennis kind of blackmailed me into it.

Dennis: I told Tom if we didn’t do it, I was gonna be really depressed and no fun to be around.