First-time dad brings other fathers together in New York, paves the way for a 'better generation of men'

In the 21st century, our society wants fathers to be more involved in parenthood. However, the narrative around parenthood is still heavily focused on mothers and the changes they go through. If we want to shift the focus from just mothers and their roles to the importance of nurturing newborns, it is crucial to ensure that fathers feel heard and included. To promote this initiative, Brooklyn-based content creator and new dad, Joe Gonzales, known on TikTok as @joegonzales.co, decided to bring fathers together. 

"If you're a dad or know a dad in Brooklyn, my name is Joe; I'm a dad myself, and this Saturday at 1 p.m. in McCarren Park, I'm hosting a meetup for dads. If you're interested, please join us," Gonzales said in a video. In the video, he encouraged dads to come if they wanted to connect with other dads and form a community. In a subsequent post, he shared photos from the event, and the turnout was impressive.

"My name is Joe and I hosted my meet-up for Dad this weekend. I'm not gonna lie at first I thought no one would show but then, dads from all over NY showed up to kick it and share experiences. It was beautiful and if you ask me what I think about it, I would tell you that I really believe in this generation of dads. We are learning and breaking the mold of what we have experienced," he wrote in the overlay text of the post. 

In an interview with PEOPLE, Gonzales admitted that he planned to make this a regular meetup, which he dubbed the Brooklyn Stroll Club. He told the publication that more than 20 first-time dads saw his video and showed up. Five months into fatherhood, Gonzales credited his dad and his friend Aaron for preparing him for the sudden shift in his life.

"My friend Aaron is the most intentional person I know. I see it with his family but also with himself and others. He has inspired me to be a loving, present father to my son but also be intentional with the people around me. Having a son has [shown] me that I’m a constant example for him, and Aaron has been a great example for me," he said. "Posting these recap photos on TikTok made me even more surprised because I’ve had so many parents from all over saying how much they wish they could have something like this and how it heals their inner child seeing dads getting together. I have had so many dads in my comments reaching out saying that they want to be at the next one, and the dads that came have been so encouraging about it," he added.

Many commented on the second post to discuss the wonderful initiative. "This generation of dads literally heals my inner child," wrote @sarahann9139. "I love this! My bf was just talking about creating a dad group (we’re in SoCal) so when this showed up on my feed, I got all excited & had to share with him that he’s not the only one wanting to do it," added @denise. "Thank you for all the work. Thank you for paving the way to a better generation of men and fathers," expressed @legendvb10. 

You can follow Joe Gonzale (@joegonzales.co) for more fatherhood content on TikTok.