Back to school time - like everything in our lives this year - looks a little bit different. Whether you have friends with kids trying to navigate the new normal in the school building or distance learning, or you’re a teacher yourself, there always seems to be a flurry of activity in September.
Even for those of us who are not going back to school, it’s a nice time for a reset, and a chance to get back to basics. For those of you who don’t know, the Voice is Gay Parents To Be’s once-monthly newsletter on all things related to LGBTQ family, fertility, and the future. Now, you might be asking yourself, what exactly is Gay Parents To Be? Is it just the website, or is it a program? Is it actually a clinic, and where are they located? I’m answering all your questions and getting back to the basics of Gay Parents To Be today.
⏪To answer your question, I have to rewind a few years. Dr. Mark Leondires had been a successful reproductive endocrinologist for years - helping people build families was quite literally his life’s work! But when he and his husband decided that they wanted to build their own family, they realized there was a lack of reliable resources for future parents in the LGBTQ community. As the medical director of RMA of Connecticut, Dr. L knew that he and his husband were lucky to live in a relatively LGBTQ-friendly state, but where should they start?
⏩Let’s fast forward again - Dr. L and Greg are now proud dads to two kids (see below 😍) through egg donation, IVF, and surrogacy, and they learned a few things along the way!
Dr. L founded Gay Parents To Be as a program at RMA of Connecticut, in the hopes that we could provide some of those much-needed answers to the LGBTQ community’s questions about family & fertility.
Years later, Gay Parents To Be is a resource and a starting point for LGBTQ parenting - no matter where you are in your journey, we hope that you can find the answers you seek with us. We strive to provide the best, most equitable and inclusive care for all parents-to-be.
If you have any more questions on what Gay Parents To Be is, the services that we provide, or if you’d just like to chat, please respond to this email! I love hearing from you.
I wasn’t kidding when I said that we were going back to basics this month! And I mean that on our end, as well - it’s my job to make sure that we’re giving you answers to all your questions about family building. Whether you’re a mom-to-be, dad-to-be, a podcast enthusiast, or someone interested in LGBTQ family rights - there’s something for everyone!
👨👨👧👦For Dads To Be
Webinar alert! Just like Dr. L did, many dads struggle with knowing where to start their surrogacy journey. This month, the answer can be, “from your own couch” 🛋️. Join our free virtual info session this coming Wednesday at 7pm with surrogacy agency experts Circle Surrogacy. We’ll also be joined by a dad through surrogacy, who will share his personal experience.
If you’d prefer to read about it, I have just the thing for you.
We know it can be frustrating to find bits and pieces of information all over the internet (don’t believe everything you read), so we pulled it all together for you. Whether you’re wondering about choosing a donor or the true costs of surrogacy, we’ve got you covered. Read more here.
👩👩👧👦For Moms To Be
For same-sex couples or single moms-to-be hoping to start a family, there are a few different paths to parenthood. While this is great news, it can make calculating the potential costs of your fertility journey feel much more complicated. We asked our financial services manager to explain it all in this article on the real costs of IUI or IVF for LGBTQ moms.
September is also the month that we raise awareness for PCOS. PCOS stands for polycystic ovarian syndrome, and is a hormone, metabolic, and reproductive disorder. It impacts 1 in 10 people born with ovaries, and is the leading cause of female infertility. If you have been diagnosed with PCOS, suspect that you might have a hormone imbalance, or just want to learn more about PCOS, follow along with us on social!
Plus, stay tuned later this month for a special PCOS feature article
🌈For Everyone
No matter who you are, if you’re considering growing your family, the end goal is to bring a happy, healthy child into your home. You’re not alone - in fact, according to Family Equality’s latest study, over 63% of millennials plan to grow their families, taking advantage of advancing reproductive technology and updated marriage laws. Yay!🎊
Unfortunately, there still is one more thing to consider - your legal rights as an LGBTQ parent, and the protection of your future child. Here in New England, we’re advocating for parentage laws to ensure the legal protection of the bond between you and your child. We spoke to some of the leading LGBTQ rights advocates about the difference in state parentage laws, and the future of LGBTQ parent-child protection. Read more here.
So long, farewell 👋
As always, if you think of something more that you want to see here, on our site, or on our platforms, you can respond to this email or drop me a line directly at emma@gayparentstobe.com 💌
🌈Emma - Editor-In-Chief,
Gay Parents To Be
She/her/hers
Gay Parents To Be, 21 E 52nd Street, New York, NY 10022, 203-956-2266