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

Published

3 years ago

February 16, 2023

Photo courtesy of Mike and Sebastian Hilscher

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.

Photo courtesy of Mike and Sebastian Hilscher

“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.”

Out & About

DC Center marks one year at new location

Milestone celebrated with tours, programming

Published

1 day ago

April 24, 2026

Tinashe Chingarande

The DC LGBTQ+ Community Center opened in its new location last April. (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

The DC LGBTQ+ Community Center is marking a milestone year in its new home with a vibrant birthday celebration, inviting the community, allies, and media to join the festivities on Saturday, April 25 at 1 p.m.

Since opening its doors in Shaw, The DC LGBTQ+ Community Center has become a hub of support, advocacy, and celebration for LGBTQ+ residents across the District.

The birthday bash promises a day of programming including Yoga (Center Wellness), Micro Bouquet Making (Center Social), Zine Making (Center Arts), and so much more. Guests can also enjoy tours of the Center’s expanded facilities, showcasing spaces for programs, services, and community events.

Since relocating, the Center has expanded its programs, providing critical services. The birthday bash underscores the DC LGBTQ+ Community Center’s commitment to creating an inclusive space where everyone regardless of identity, age, or background can find community and empowerment.

For more details, contact Paul Marengo at 202-705-2890.

Calendar

Calendar: April 24-30

LGBTQ events in the days to come

Published

1 day ago

April 24, 2026

Tinashe Chingarande

Friday, April 24

Center Aging Monthly Luncheon With Yoga will be at 12 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. Email Mac at [email protected] if you require ASL interpreter assistance, have any dietary restrictions, or questions about this event.

Lesbian Visibility Week will be at 7 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. There will be a special screening of “Ahead of the Curve.” Enjoy an evening of film, conversation, and community, with cocktails and beverages available throughout the night For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.

Trans Discussion Group will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This event is intended to provide an emotionally and physically safe space for trans people and those who may be questioning their gender identity/expression to join together in community and learn from one another. For more details, email [email protected].

Saturday, April 25

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.

Sunday, April 26

Nellie’s Sports Bar will host “Nellie’s DC Drag Brunch” at 12 p.m. Join Sapphire Blue, Deja Diamond and their team of drag performers for the most fun you’ll have all weekend. Tickets start at $58.51 and are available on Eventbrite.

LGBTQ+ Community Coffee and Conversation will be at 12 p.m. at As You Are. This event is for people looking to make more friends and meaningful connections in the LGBTQ community. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Monday, April 27

“Center Aging: Monday Coffee Klatch” 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 information, contact Adam ([email protected]).

Genderqueer DC will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is a support group for people who identify outside of the gender binary, whether you’re bigender, agender, genderfluid, or just know that you’re not 100% cis. For more details, visit genderqueerdc.org or Facebook.

Tuesday, April 28

The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host “Candlelight Vigil” at 6:30 p.m. This is a vigil centered on reflection, support, and collective care. Attendees are encouraged to gather at 6:30 p.m., with the program beginning promptly at 7 p.m. and concluding by 8 p.m. The event will take place on the closed-off Wiltberger Street, providing a dedicated and intimate space for remembrance. Electronic candle lights will be available to participants. For those seeking additional support or who have questions ahead of the event, please contact [email protected].

Wednesday, April 29

Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom upon request. 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.

The DC Center for the LGBT Community will host “Movement for Healing” at 3 p.m. This trauma- and yoga therapy–informed class is designed to help guests gently reconnect with their body and their breath. Through mindful movement, somatic awareness, and grounding practices, guests will explore how to release tension, increase mobility, and cultivate a deeper sense of safety and ease within. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.

Thursday, April 30

The DC Center’s Fresh Produce Program will be held all day at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. 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 Class will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This free weekly class is a combination of yoga, breathwork and meditation that allows LGBTQ+ community members to continue their healing journey with somatic and mindfulness practices. For more details, visit the DC Center’s website.

a&e features

Memorial for groundbreaking bisexual activist set for May 2

Loraine Hutchins remembered as a ‘force of nature’

Published

2 days ago

April 23, 2026

Emma Cieslik

Loraine Hutchins died last year. (File photo courtesy of Hutchins)

The Montgomery County Pride Center will host a celebration honoring the life and legacy of Loraine Hutchins, Ph.D., on May 2. People are invited to attend the onsite memorial or a livestream event. The on-site event will begin at 10 a.m. with a meet-and-greet mixer before moving into a memorial service around the theme “Loraine a Force of Nature!” at 11 a.m., a panel talk at 12 p.m., break out sessions for artists, academics, and activists to build on her legacy at 1 p.m. and a closing reception at 2 p.m.

Attendees are encouraged to register for the on-site memorial gathering or the livestreamed memorial. The goal of this event is also to collect stories and memories of Loraine. Attendees and others can share their stories at padlet.com.

An obituary for Hutchins was published in the Bladelast Nov. 24, where people can learn more about her activism in the bisexual community. A private service for friends and family was held in December but this memorial service is open to all.

Alongside her groundbreaking work organizing for U.S. bisexual rights and liberation including co-editing “Bi Any Other Name: BIsexual People Speak Out” (1991), she also integrated faith into her sexual education and advocacy work. Her 2001 doctoral dissertation, “Erotic Rites: A Cultural Analysis of Contemporary U.S. Sacred Sexuality Traditions and Trends,” offered a pointed queer and feminist analysis to sex-neutral and sex-positive spiritual traditions in the United States. Her thesis was also groundbreaking in exploring the intersections between sex workers and those in caregiving professionals, including spiritual ones.

In an oral history interview conducted by Michelle Mueller back in August 2023, Hutchins described herself as a “priestess without a congregation.” While she has occasionally had a sense of community and feels part of a group of loving people, she admitted that “I don’t feel like we have the shape or the purpose that we need.”

“I’ve often experienced being the Cassandra in the room, the Cassandra in the community. Somebody who’s kind of way out there ahead, thinking through the strategic action points that my community hasn’t gotten to yet, and getting a lot of resistance and hostile responses from people who are frightened by dissent and conflict and not ready for the changes we have to make to survive,” she said.

“For somebody who’s bisexual in an out political way and who’s been a spokesperson for the polyamory movement in an out political way, it’s very exposing. And it’s very important to me to be able to try to explain and help other people understand the connection between spirituality and sexuality,” she explained citing how even as a graduate student she was “exploring how to feel erotic and spiritual, and not feel them in conflict with each other in my own spiritual contemplative life and my own sensual body awareness of being alive in the world.”

“Every religion has a sense of sacred sexuality. It’s just they put a lot of boundaries and regulations on it, and if we have a spiritual practice that is totally affirming of women’s priesthood and of gay people, queer people’s ability to minister to everyone and to be ministered to be everyone, what does that do to the gender of God, or our understanding of how we practice our spirituality and our sexuality in community and privately?”

“There’s no easy answer,” she concludes, and she continued to grapple with these questions throughout her life, co-editing another seminal text, “Sexuality, Religion and the Sacred: Bisexual, Pansexual, and Polysexual Perspectives,” published in 2012. Her work blending spiritual and queer liberation remains groundbreaking to this day.

Rev. Eric Eldritch, a local community organizer and ordained Pagan minister with Circle Sanctuary who has worked for decades with the DC Center’s Center Faith to organize the Pride Interfaith Service, is eager to highlight this element of her legacy at the memorial service next month.