Arts & Entertainment
This studly two-Dad family is storming America
Direct from Austria – and with a German TV crew in tow – these lovable daddy influencers are our hottest new imports

Just a year and a half ago, handsome Vienna-based couple Mike and Sebastian Hilscher posted their first video to YouTube, a touching highlight reel of their recent Bora Bora wedding featuring their adorable young daughter Mia. Originally just meant for family and friends, the video’s picture-perfect beach backdrop, the guys’ own movie star good looks, and their powerful and palpable love for each other and their daughter helped the clip go viral – and a pair of daddy influencers was born.
That wedding video has now been viewed nearly a quarter of a million times, and it spawned a collection of some 60 Mike and Sebastian videos and counting on YouTube alone – not to mention their rapidly growing Instagram presence – in which the guys’ sparkling personalities and frank honesty about themselves, their relationship, and the trials and triumphs of double-dad parenthood are helping them take social media by storm.
Now the guys and Mia are set to launch their next chapter as the latest residents of Southern California, settling in the gay-friendly enclave of Palm Desert. Following them along for the journey will be a German film crew from the popular German TV show Goodbye Deutschland!, which for 15 seasons has told the real-life stories of expats from German-speaking countries to all points around the globe.
So why California? “It was always clear to us that it had to be California,” says Mike, the taller of the hunky two papas, unless you count Sebastian’s voluminous hair. “We just love this state. Coming from Austria, where two-dad families are viewed skeptically and gay acceptance is questionable, it’s just relaxing for us to live in an environment where we’re not the oddballs.”
Their original plan was actually to become Angelenos. “We had even already chosen an apartment, but then we noticed that Los Angeles might not be so family-friendly,” Mike shares. “When we happened upon the Palm Springs area and looked it over, we fell in love immediately. There is no better place for us. We are absolute fans.”
While the guys are naturally excited about the prospect of growing their social media presence from their new U.S. home base, there’s much more behind their emigration story – including first and foremost, hopefully a new sibling for Mia. “The main reason we are coming to America is that we’re planning our second baby by surrogacy and want to be part of the pregnancy,” explains Mike. “Our surrogate lives in Florida, so we’ll commute regularly to visit her. We know stories of parents who couldn’t pick up their baby due to travel restrictions during COVID and we didn’t want to take that risk either, which is why we’re coming to the USA. What began with this thought has matured into an emigration plan.”
Fittingly enough on several fronts, Mike and Sebastian met at a pre-party for Vienna’s famous Love Ball in 2015. It was just before Mia’s birth (also through surrogacy), and Mike had long planned on being a single father to her. As he shared in one of the couple’s videos, Mike went into the Love Ball thinking it would be his last big party night before fatherhood. ” I was so looking forward to being a dad, but this one last time I wanted to go crazy, he says.” Instead, he wound up meeting Sebastian that night, and by the time Mia was born three or for weeks later, they were a couple. They’ve been a two-dad family ever since.

“We have a very strong vision that got us into social media in the first place,” Mike explains. “Our vision is to normalize two-dad families, and we believe this is only possible through visibility. In the last few months, our social media channels have grown so much that it’s now a full-time job to look after them.”
Mike especially likes that he’s been able to utilize his experience as a psychological consultant with some of their followers. “I bring my expertise to individual consultations, especially in the area of family planning for LGBT couples, and also advice for LGBT young people in dealing with their sexuality and finding their identity. I have at least two to three consultations a week, free of charge of course.”
Consulting is just one of Mike’s many successful and varied career chapters. In the early 2000s, when he was in his early 20s, Mike sang in a popular Austrian pop band called Sugar Free, and even won an Amadeus Award, the country’s top music prize. He later went on to pass the bar exam and run a successful facility management company, and he also wrote a best-selling children’s book.
For his part, Sebastian is hardly a slacker. At just 24, he won a major national competition with his innovative concept for transforming democracy into the digital age. He pumped the $150,000 prize money into the highly successful construction business that he still runs – he’ll return to Austria periodically to that company flowing, and he’ll meanwhile be introducing its products to the American market.
“Sebastian will continue to do his company, but I will concentrate full-time on our work in the social media area,” says Mike. “We’ve been fully committed to driving the success of our social media. It’s our declared goal to become one of the big players in this area in order to be able to change something for the better.”
After the craziness of packing up their lives in Austria, the young family won’t be slowing down any time soon – the first weeks of their California schedule are already jampacked. “We will first be busy shooting the TV show, then our own cameraman will come with us to produce some episodes for our YouTube,” says Mike. “Of course we have Mia’s first day of school, moving into the house, buying a car, moving into the new office, etc. We’re also looking for our infrastructure, meaning gym, a dance center for Mia, and so on. Then we also have the jet lag, and Mia has to study English as well learn the German curriculum. So we certainly won’t get bored.”

The Victory Fund held its National Champagne Brunch at the Ritz-Carlton on Sunday, April 27. Speakers included Tim Gunn, Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Gov. Wes Moore (D-Md.), Rep. Sarah McBride (D-Del.), Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) and Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.).
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

















Music & Concerts
Tom Goss returns with ‘Bear Friends Furever Tour’
Out singer/songwriter to perform at Red Bear Brewing Co.

Singer Tom Goss will bring his “Bear Friends Furever Tour” to D.C. on Sunday, June 8 at 8 p.m. at Red Bear Brewing Co.
Among the songs he will perform will be “Bear Soup,” the fourth installment in his beloved bear song anthology series. Following fan favorites like “Bears,” “Round in All the Right Places,” and “Nerdy Bear,” this high-energy, bass-thumping banger celebrates body positivity, joyful indulgence, and the vibrant spirit of the bear subculture.
For more details, visit Tom Goss’s website.

Friday, May 2
“Center Aging Friday Tea Time” will be at 2 p.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more details, email [email protected].
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Social in the City” at 7 p.m. at P.F. Chang’s. This event is ideal for making new friends, professional networking, idea-sharing, and community building. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
Saturday, May 3
Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ community, including allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.
LGBTQ People of Color Support Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This peer support group is an outlet for LGBTQ People of Color to come together and talk about anything affecting them in a space that strives to be safe and judgment free. There are all sorts of activities like watching movies, poetry events, storytelling, and just hanging out with others. For more information and events for LGBTQ People of Color, visit thedccenter.org/poc or facebook.com/centerpoc.
Sunday, May 4
“The Chateau Drag Brunch” will be at 12 p.m. at Chicatana. Enjoy fabulous Mexican food and cocktails while being entertained by a rotating cast of the DMV’s best drag performers. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
“The Bubble: Queer Brooklyn Comics in DC” will be at 5 p.m. at As You Are. Queer comedians Charlie Flynn, Evan Lazarus and Keara Sullivan are coming down from NYC for a night of fun as they split an hour of standup comedy. For more details, visit Eventbrite.
Monday, May 5
“Center Aging Monday Coffee & Conversation” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more details, email [email protected].
Tuesday, May 6
Universal Pride Meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This group seeks to support, educate, empower, and create change for people with disabilities. For more details, email [email protected].
Wednesday, May 7
Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.
Center Aging Women’s Social and Discussion Group will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom. This group is a place where older queer women can meet and socialize with one another. We will have discussion, activities, and a chance for you to share what you want future events to include. For more details, email [email protected].
Thursday, May 8
The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. To be fair with who is receiving boxes, the program is moving to a lottery system. People will be informed on Wednesday at 5 p.m. if they are picked to receive a produce box. No proof of residency or income is required. For more information, email [email protected] or call 202-682-2245.
Virtual Yoga with Sarah M. will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a free weekly class focusing on yoga, breath work, and meditation. For more details, visit the DC Center for the LGBT Community’s website.
South Asian Support Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. The peer support group is an outlet for South Asian-identified LGBTQ individuals to come and talk about anything affecting them. It’s a secure, judgment-free environment to discuss relationships, sexuality, health, well-being, identity, culture, religion, or anything that is on your mind. For more details, email [email protected].