Today marks the 41st birthday of Louise Brown, the world’s first baby born after in vitro fertilization (IVF). My spouse and I also used IVF to have our son, now one of more than eight million other people created through the procedure, so here’s a big happy birthday to Louise Brown and gratitude for the progress she represents.
I wrote a longer piece last year for Brown’s 40th birthday about what IVF means—and doesn’t—for queer families. I hope you’ll go have a read (or re-read), and reflect both on the number of ways we can now create our families and how their creation is only the beginning of the journey. For those just starting out, I refer you to the list of providers who have completed Family Equality’s Open Door Professional Training Program, “designed to ensure family-building providers are prepared to care for the LGBTQ community with sensitivity and excellence.”
