Polis to Become a Father

A groundbreaking gay U.S. congressman told The Denver Post that he and his partner are on the verge of another milestone – they’re going to be dads.

Rep. Jared Polis, a Democrat from Colorado, said he and partner Marlon Reis are “very excited to become parents,” according to a statement sent to the Post. They expect that life change to happen in September, but the expectant fathers wouldn’t say whether they’re adopting of using a surrogate.

Colorado allows unmarried couples to adopt and nothing in the law specifically bars partners from jointly adopting.

Notes of congratulations were already being posted on the Boulder congressman’s Facebook page, with some thanking Polis for being unafraid to be himself. During his 2008 campaign, Polis said his example in Washington could help change it.

“I think I can change a lot of minds on a personal level — win people over to show that sexual orientation is not a measure of people's integrity,” he told  the Post in 2007.

Polis was the first gay man elected to Congress while being out in his initial campaign. Veteran congressman Barney Frank of Massachusetts came out while already in office, as did the late Gerry Studds of Massachusetts and Jim Kolbe of Arizona, who is now retired. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin was the first out lesbian in Congress, and David Cicilline of Rhode Island has now joined the ranks of openly gay Congress members. None of them have children.