Sharing is caring!

Have you ever wondered how to celebrate an unconventional family?

To celebrate the week of love, I am highlighting Devon and Rob who are the men behind Dad’s not Daddies.

Everyone’s love story is unique but what makes Devon and Rob’s story a standout is their unconventional family.

Before finding one another, Devon was married with two children and heavily involved in the Mormon community. Devon realized his true sexuality during his marriage but saw his attraction to men as a temptation instead of his identity and tried to change himself.

However, Devon knew that in order to be truly happy, he had to learn to accept himself. He and his wife decided they both needed to move on.

Devon was a newly divorced and single dad when he met Rob online. After swiping right and several months of long-distance dating, they decided to begin their lives together in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Today, they are both social media influencers who are heavily involved in the LGBTQ community. Showing that even though no two families are the same, it does not matter what your families look like, it is worth celebrating.

I am so happy to share Rob and Devon’s story and continue to be inspired by their love story every day.

Listen on to find out why Rob and Devon’s journey is so special.

 

Listen Below:

 

In this Episode:

Can you tell us your background and how you dealt with coming out?

• Rob knew he was gay in High school but did not fully come out until he was 26.
• Devon grew up very Mormon and got married.
• It wasn’t until Devon was married that he realized his true sexual identity.
• Devon saw his attraction to men as a temptation, not an identity and saw that he thought he could change about himself.

Devon, how did you get the courage to come out to your wife and be your true self?

• It was an extremely hard situation to be in, and Devon expected to work it out with his ex-wife.
• Devon always talked about his identity as a problem, and he no longer wanted to feel that way.
• In order to be truly happy and not to think of himself as a sick person, they both needed to move on.

What is it like living in Utah as an openly gay couple?

• When they are in cities, they can be freer with their relationship, but when in smaller towns they have to be constantly aware of how they act with one another.

How has this family dynamic affected your sons?

• Their sons have known Rob almost all of their life and were able to transition to the new relationship quite easily.

What is it like traveling as a couple, do you have to censor your interaction with one another?

• There are definitely areas where they have to think about to be cautious with how they show affection or interact with one another.

How they have been able to influence others in the LGBT community.

• As a couple in the public eye, they are more aware of what influence they have on the LGBT community.
• They have received messages from parents who see them as a great example of the possibility for their own children’s lives.
• They like to show that you can have a balance to have a family and still enjoy your life.
• One of the most memorable moments was when a woman from Israel contacted Rob and Devon to let them know her struggles and was thinking of suicide because she lives in a community that is not welcoming to LGBTQ.
• Rob and Devon feel privileged to be able to get paid to do what they love.

Are you able to create income from being an influencer full-time?

• Rob and Devon continue to work at their day job, but they are soon planning to transition soon.
• They both got the job they are currently working in because of their own social media presence.

How are you able to create income from the start and how do you continue to create income today?

• Their purpose was not to create income when they started their Instagram page.
• It was not until they had 60-70K followers on Instagram that they started to make income from their page.
• They were surprised and shocked when a company reached out to them for an ad.
• It was not until they got an agent that they did more paid work.
• They decided to reach out to an agency in order to get help with negotiations and to become more educated in the business.
• Rob did google searches for reputable agencies which was hard to find.

What legacy would you like to leave and what do you want to be remembered for?

• Rob wants to be remembered for someone who provided. Provided happy memories, emotional support, and be an all-around provider in every sense.
• Devon wants a legacy that will allow his kids to know that he is always there for them in every way. He also wants his kid to know that their dad was able to be his true self even when faced with the greatest obstacles.

What do you nerd out on?

• Devon nerds out on plants and technology
• Rob nerds out on gay pop culture and social media.

---

Follow Devon and Rob: