from Gay Parents To Be

Hi there,

Well...we did it. We’ve officially reached our one year milestone since changing the ways we live, work, communicate, and gather. Who else has taken up, and then quit, more than a few new indoor hobbies over this past year? 🙋*Raises both hands, neither of which has a green thumb.*

My failed attempts to become a plant parent aside, I am so grateful that we have been able to continue to grow our Gay Parents To Be community over this past year. I’ve met new faces over Zoom, FaceTime, email, and virtual conferences (a new one for me), and even seen some brand new Gay Parents To Be babies! I’m proud to support our RMA of CT clinical, physician, and lab staff as they continue to help patients build the families of their dreams, and to provide education and inspiration for anyone looking to learn more or get started.

Basically, this is me saying thank you for sticking with me through this past year of virtual Voice communication. I’m excited to see what’s still to come. In the meantime, let’s recap some of our latest links, tailored for wherever you are in your LGBTQ+ family building journey:

• If you’re looking at surrogacy data...trying to understand what’s actually important when choosing your fertility clinic

• If you or someone you know suffers from PCOS...you’re not alone. This patient’s story highlights the struggle that so many PCOS patients face when searching for an accurate diagnosis

• If you’re trying to make a connection...with the right gestational carrier for your journey, and don’t know where to start. We’ve got you covered

• If you’re one of the 1 in 10 struggling with endometriosis...and you're looking for some new faces to follow on social media, we rounded up a list of celebrities who are being candid and open about their own endo stories

• If you miss IRL events but will settle for the next-best thing...we feel you. Join us and a few dads virtually to talk about just how long surrogacy actually takes, even during a pandemic. Save your spot now. 

Don’t see what you’re looking for? Keep scrolling for more LGBTQ+ news (psst, we need your help), real family stories, and more.

In case you missed it, last month we decided to switch up this section of The Voice - instead of me just sharing articles on our site, I’ll be sharing real stories from parents and parents-to-be. This month, I’m happy to feature dad Eric, who shared some of the factors that played into his decision when he and his husband chose their clinic. Here are the high points:

• Dr. Leondires is a dad through surrogacy, and could personally relate to what Eric was going through
• RMA of Connecticut (the clinic that makes the Gay Parents To Be program possible) had reported data to SART (The Society for Advanced Reproductive Technology) for years - Eric felt that this showed a commitment to ethical and quality care
• Strong IVF success rates made the dads feel confident in the care they would receive, and in making this financial commitment
• They liked the care team!

Click through to the full article to hear more about their journey. We're so grateful to Eric and his husband for sharing this story, to help other prospective dads educate themselves as they make this big decision. 

And since we're on the subject of high points, here's a roundup of our social media sweeties this past month - babies, prospective parents, and the people who are helping making dreams come true (with a little help from Gay Parents To Be & RMA of Connecticut). Click through to learn more about each beautiful story!

I love sharing stories, family photos, and more on our blog and our feed - so if you have a story of your own, please feel free to respond to this email, or reach out to me directly at emma@gayparentstobe.com! ❤️

All The News... 📰

...that’s fit to print. Or to scroll through on your phone, whichever you prefer! This month I’m shining a spotlight on something that impacts so many families in our LGBTQ+ community, but that many people don’t know about until they’re in the middle of their own family building journey. 

Despite the fact that same-sex marriage is legal in all 50 states (woot woot), the legal protections and parameters surrounding “parentage” - or a parent’s legal connection to their own child, still vary from state to state. 

Even when same-sex couples are married or have a civil union, it doesn’t mean that the non-biological or non-genetically-related parent is automatically deemed a legal parent of their child. As a result, most LGBTQ+ families (this impacts LGBTQ+ moms, dads, and trans parents-to-be) have to go through the lengthy, costly, and invasive process of a second parent adoption to ensure their rights, and the rights of their child, are protected. 

What can we do to make this better?

Here in Connecticut, we’re working to pass the Connecticut Parentage Act, which would ensure equal legal protection for all families. Many New England states already have similar laws in place, and hopefully we’ll one day have universal parentage acts. And if you live in our area, we could use your help! Click through this post to see what you can do to support the Connecticut Parentage Act today.

For more about the legal nuts and bolts of LGBTQ+ parenting, check out this blog, written by a legal Voice.

Somewhere over the Rainbow 🌈📢

Finding accurate (and not completely overwhelming) information about LGBTQ+ parenting can be hard to find out here on the internet, and I'm on a mission to bring your inbox exactly what you're looking for. 

Is there something more that you want to read here in The Voice? Too much of something else? Please drop me a line and let me know. I know I'm always looking for new insights, stories, and ways to make this newsletter the best it can be, and I'm always here to listen. 💌

Best, 

🌈Emma - Editor-In-Chief,

Gay Parents To Be

She/her/hers