Meet The GUNCS!
Bill Horn and Scout Masterson are the adorable "guncle" (gay uncle!) couple you wish you had in your corner on "Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood."
When we last saw them, Bill and Scout announced their intention to adopt a child. And from their vantage point on that journey, they were kind enough to share their thoughts about "gunc" life, love, and the pursuit of fatherhood.
Momlogic: Congrats on your decision to adopt! I cried when I saw that episode of the show. How long have you guys been in the process?
Scout: We started the process last February, but there were a good five to six months of just getting everything done, from paperwork to clearances to fingerprints to physicals to home visits. I think we went on the books when we were finally able to look for a birth mom in August.
Bill: I would say it was September.
Scout: That's about right.
ML: Have you guys always known you wanted to be parents?
Bill: I think I've always known it. I probably had a slightly selfish streak in my 20s and early 30s. I was having a good time; then Scout and I met and we were traveling and I thought I could maybe live without kids. But then the years went by and the feeling came back up on me (that I knew I'd have them). So yes, I always knew I wanted kids.
Scout: I always thought I wanted children, but I hadn't met the right person, you know? For me, it was all about the home chemistry. I grew up in a single parent home, so I had to grow up very quickly. I always knew I wanted a family, but it had to be in the right scenario. And this is right. We're so excited.
ML: Have you gotten inquiries from fans of the show?
Scout: It's very interesting because I feel like, on a certain level, people assume that we're taken care of as far as meeting a birth mom. But we aren't. We've called and e-mailed everyone we can. It takes two years on average, but we're ready, like, NOW. We're with this nonprofit called The Independent Adoption Center. They have a high success rate -- 98% of heterosexual and gay couples adopt within two years. We're very careful about the inquiries from people who may want to be on TV or something. But we haven't found a birth mom yet.
Bill: We just want to be parents. It's all about getting the word out there.
ML: What are you most looking forward to when you become parents? When the day comes and you bring that beautiful child home? I know you're looking forward to all of it, but what's the first thing that comes to your mind?
Scout: For me, I can say that until I was around Liam and Stella, I never had any really close friends who had children that I was exposed to as much. So now every little thing we do with them -- now they are so talkative and their personalities are forming -- it's so amazing just to teach them things, like how to kick a ball. I can't wait to take our kids to see a petting zoo, just teach them about the little things.
Bill: I love bath time!
Scout: Kids love when Uncle Bill gives them a bath. They get to use the tub paints.
Bill: If my mother saw those, she'd think they were real paints and have a heart attack!
ML: Ha! When you guys dream about what your family life would be like 10 years from now, what would that ideal be? How many kids?
Scout: I say two. I would love to have a baby and after a few years, have another. I don't see having five or six children. The balance of our lives, as far as spending quality time, would be fine with two. I grew up in a single parent home and want to spend as much time as I can with my children. My mom balanced being at work with being with me. So that's what I want in our lives.
ML: Do you guys have siblings with kids? On screen you seem pretty schooled at gunc life.
Bill: We're both only children. I know, interesting, right? And we're together. And we have two VERY excited grandmas!
ML: I bet Tori and Dean are excited to be auntie and uncle. What's the straight term for that? Breeder Auntie -- Brauntie? Breeder Uncle -- Bruncle?
Bill: (laughs) Just auntie and uncle!
Scout: Tori and Dean have been so amazing throughout the process. Like with the recommendations you saw on the show. When we saw those forms, it's tough because you have to be cautious and you have to be very precise, and they were amazing. Dean took the pictures for our adoption brochure. He's an amazing photographer. And they are over the moon about our finally having a baby.
Bill: They are more anxious than we are!
ML: They want those cousins for Liam and Stella!
Bill: Right? Tori's like, "We need a baby in the house by Christmas!" She's so excited.
ML: I bet she's so psyched to hook you guys up!
Scout: Already in our house, we have an organized wall of bins full of baby stuff Liam and Stella have outgrown. Organized by size: 3-6 months, 6-12 months, etc.
Bill: All we need is the Orbit and our lives will be complete.
ML: What advice would you give to a new mom who's having trouble balancing her family life with her friendships? From the BFF perspective?
Bill: Certainly when we have a child, some of our relationships will change -- some for the better and some will fall away. We've known Tori and Dean since the beginning of their relationship and I can honestly say, we've become even closer since they've had children because we just love the kids. Kids are work. People need to work at it.
Scout: People don't always get that they sometimes need to bring dinner to their friend's house because they have the baby. For us, it was a natural thing to always think of their kids first. Maybe it's our personalities, where we think of the kids. Honestly, we've become so close, I can't imagine not having them here as our family. Our families are East Coast. Anything any of us need, we take care of each other and help. It's a lot of understanding. Because we want a family, we get it (where they are coming from). We know we'll be in a situation where people need to be more flexible.
Bill: It's Saturday night and your night needs to start at 4 PM -- not AM!
ML: Your lifestyle is already gearing toward kids ...
Scout: I love to cook, so I'll just make extra and bring it over to Tori and Dean. I can't wait until we have our own family to cook for!
ML: Last question ... we're going into Prop 8 territory.
Bill: The reverend who officiated at our ceremony is at the hearing now! She has a strong voice in the community.
ML: That's amazing!
Bill: We would've loved to have had a wedding. When it was legal here for 18 months, we didn't get married because we'd already been domestic partners for years. I was disheartened with the fact that it wasn't legal in other states. I was put off. As soon as Prop 8 passed, I was furious that it was taken away. If it was repealed tomorrow, we'd get our friends and family and run down to City Hall. And now we don't know how long it's going to take to be legal again. We went on a mini trip to Mexico last month, and the immigration guy said we couldn't go up to the stand together because we weren't married.
ML: WRONG.
Scout: Exactly.
For more GUNC LOVE, follow the boys on Twitter (@BillHornWoHi and @ScoutMasterson), become a fan of The Guncles on Facebook, and tune into "Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood" in March!
And by all means, if you can in any way help them find a suitable birth mom, get in touch with them on their site!