“Millennial LGBTQ people are looking at creating families at a much higher rate than previous generations and still face some of the same roadblocks. Steve’s story of coming out and then his odyssey of creating his family is a must-read for anyone pondering their own journey of becoming a parent. Steve provides both practical information about the hoops he jumped through during the process and his stories of self-discovery that brought him to the realization that he could be a father.”

— Rev. Stan J. Sloan, CEO, Family Equality

“Determined To Be Dad is a page-turner. Two men creating a family faced turbulence and uncertainty. While compassion, determination, and love, might seem like ordinary concepts, when it comes to living them in the face of real life’s adversity, it’s easy to lose faith. How becoming a loving father to two adopted children, loyal husband, trusted friend, and good citizen created the deeper meaning in his life.”

— Svetlana Kim, Award-winning Author of White Pearl and I: A Memoir of a Political Refugee, co-author of The Last of the Four Musketeers: Allen Joe’s Life and Friendship with Bruce Lee, and speaker

“I have known Steve for many years, and I am always impressed with his ability to connect with a broad group of people. Steve’s book Determined To Be Dad is a tribute to his lifelong desire to become a dad and his belief in the goodness of everyone despite encountering hardships along the way. Steve’s open heart and willingness to be vulnerable throughout his adoption journey is a lesson for us all.”

— Denise (Ajayi) Williams, Author, President & Cofounder of SVNED

“Steve’s journey of becoming a dad demonstrates the human experience of wanting to belong and the need for resilience to be our authentic selves. He writes of many intersectional experiences where he finds commonality with different communities and how those experiences have shaped his life. I highly recommend Determined To Be Dad for anyone facing roadblocks on their journey of self-discovery.”

— Carin Taylor, Chief Diversity Officer, Workday

“The reality is that we all feel included and excluded at various times in our lives. Steve’s experiences on both sides of this paradigm have shaped his values and how he shows up in the world. His tender story of coming out to creating his family gives us all hope that we can build the life of our dreams.”

— Jennifer Brown, CEO, Jennifer Brown Consulting, and Author of How to be an Inclusive Leader: Your Role In Creating Cultures of Belonging Where Everyone Can Thrive

“You will celebrate more than one birth as you read this book. Most important to me is the birth of Steve as a gay man, who celebrates the gift of his sexual orientation, rather than tolerate it. Without that joyful marriage of mind and soul, there wouldn’t be a good, loving home in which to raise any child. His relationship with Lorevic is another birth, here of a mutual love that welcomes others into its abundance. The birth of his daughter, Kaitlyn, is also the birth of a new family, bound by love. And then, a son, Matthew, making the family whole. You can’t help but enjoy participating in this happy, healthy birthing wonder.”

— Brian McNaught, Author of On Being Gay

“As more companies create inclusive policies and cultures that are fully supportive of LGBTQ employees, it is inevitable that more queer people will be creating families. Steve’s journey of building his family and navigating his career in corporate America provides a great testament to what’s possible when everyone is encouraged to be authentic. LGBTQ professionals considering becoming parents must read this book.”

— Erin Uritus, CEO, Out & Equal Workplace Advocates

“For me and so many other LGBTQ people, creating a family is a long process of research and planning. It’s an exploration of what it means to be a family. Determined To Be Dad shares the story of Steve’s own deeply personal exploration of identity, family, and parenthood. His experiences overcoming the hurdles of building a family will give hope to any aspiring parent.”

— Dr. Vivienne Ming, Theoretical Neuroscientist, Author, Co-Founder & Executive Chair of Socos Labs

“Steve was amazingly helpful on our show and I was struck by how much he has gone through and how much we can all learn from his experience. Steve’s story proves that hope conquers all and that if you want to be a dad you can conquer that too.”

— Yan Dekel, Producer and Co-Host of Daddy Squared: The Gay Dads Podcast

“The foster-to-adopt process in California is both complicated and opaque on many levels with the ultimate goal of keeping the child in a safe and nurturing environment. Steve’s conviction to adopt a child from the system speaks to his values and longing for family. Determined To Be Dad will help anyone that is considering the foster-to-adopt process to create their family.”

— Supervisor Rafael Mandelman, District 8 on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors