LGBTQ Parenting Roundup

Here are some of the recent stories about LGBTQ parents and our children that I haven’t covered separately. There’s political news, of course, but also a bevy of new and pending baby announcements, particularly among queer athletes! See who’s expanded their families and who’s expecting!

Politics and Law: U.S.

Molly Sprayregen at LGBTQ Nation writes about how “The parents rights movement has never cared about empowering all parents. Just conservative ones.” She smartly says, “My job, I’ve realized, is not to curate [my children’s] entire existence,” but “The modern parents’ rights movement rejects this ethos.” Yup. Once they hit school (if not before), kids are exposed to more things and ideas than we can ever hope to control; the best we can do is to try and convey our values early and keep the lines of communication open. It’s also not the government’s job to curate on behalf of a vocal minority.
Jackie Domenus at Autostraddle writes, “My Wife’s Missed Miscarriage Reiterated That Reproductive Rights Are LGBTQ+ Rights.” They share their story of trying to start a family via reciprocal IVF in New Jersey (like my spouse and I, as happens), and note, “But in the midst of our own personal tragedy, I couldn’t help but imagine how different, and thus how much more difficult, this process might have been if we lived in a different state.” They ask, “What makes people in one state more worthy of these rights than others? And what good does it do to exile queer and trans folks from yet another set of human rights?” Excellent questions.

Politics and Law: International

DIVA magazine similarly looks at the vagaries of reproductive care for LGBTQ folks, but in England, with “This is why LGBTQIA+ fertility equality still matters in 2026.” The article explains, “Across England, there is still a postcode lottery in access to fertility treatment. Many same-sex couples are required to self-fund rounds of insemination before they can qualify for NHS-funded IVF, forcing some to spend tens of thousands of pounds or give up altogether.”
Greece’s Council of State has confirmed the constitutionality of marriage and adoption rights for same-sex couples, upholding a 2024 ruling that had been challenged by several groups who said it was unconstitutional. “The latest decision effectively ends the legal debate by ‘stamping’ the law as fully constitutional,” says the Greek Reporter, which also noted, “The Court dismissed concerns regarding adoption, stating that the ‘best interests of the child’ are already protected by rigorous existing legal frameworks and case-by-case judicial oversight.”
An Irish national and a New Zealand national, who married in Ireland and had a child via IVF in the UK, are being allowed to challenge Ireland’s refusal to grant an Irish passport to their daughter, reports Gay Community News. New Zealand, where the gestational mother is from, granted the child a New Zealand passport, but the Irish State refused to give the child an Irish one. The nongestational mother argues that “she is the legal parent of the child and is named in the daughter’s UK birth certificate,” and so the daughter is a citizen of Ireland and should be granted an Irish passport. Makes sense to me.
Two moms in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a self-governing dependency of the British Crown, are urging the bailiwick’s government to change its laws so they can both be recognized on their daughter’s birth certificate, reports the BBC. Lindsay de Sausmarez, president of the Policy and Resources Committee (i.e., the head of the government), has indicated she’s willing to move this forward, but has to consult with others because of other legislation that would be impacted.

Media and Entertainment

Parents magazine shares the story of “How Fitness Influencer Shaun T and His Husband Scott Are Raising Twins and Building a Loving Family.”
Writer, academic, and trans dad Dr. Markus Harwood-Jones has shared on social media the conversation he had with his four-year-old when she asked “Why did you used to be a girl?” reports LGBTQ Nation.
Entertainer Rosie O’Donnell is now a grandmother of five. Blake O’Donnell, whom she adopted in 1999 with her now-former spouse Kelli Carpenter, a marketing executive, has had a child with his spouse Teresa.
Australian actor, writer, and director Eddie Grey and husband Chad have announced the birth of their first son.

Sports

Retired WNBA superstar Candace Parker’s daughter Lailaa has committed to playing NCAA Div I volleyball at the University of California San Diego. Parker had Lailaa in 2009, during a previous relationship, but in 2021, married Russian basketball player Anna Petrakova. The photo Parker posted of the family after Lailaa’s college announcement says it all: these are two proud parents. Clearly they’ve set a standard of athletic excellence around the house, but are also letting Lailaa follow her own path into a different sport. Congratulations to the whole family! (And in case you missed it: Parker was also just announced as an inductee to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.)

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New Baby Announcements

Upcoming Baby Announcements

Canadian Olympic long-track speedskater Anastasia Bucsis and spouse Diana Matheson, a Canadian Olympic medalist in soccer, are expecting a child in July.
Rosie Galligan and Marlie Packer, members of England’s World Cup-winning rugby team in 2025, are expecting their second child in October.