I had the pleasure of speaking recently with the AllPaths podcast about how my now-spouse and I started our family via reciprocal IVF in the early aughts, why I founded Mombian shortly afterwards and how it’s grown, the state of LGBTQ+ family building today, LGBTQ Families Day, and more. I hope you’ll have a listen!
Click here to start—you’ll then see links to take you quickly to the episode “RIVF, Representation, and Resilience” on any of the major podcast platforms. Here’s AllPath’s description:
This episode of the AllPaths podcast features Dana Rudolph, founder and publisher of the two-time GLAAD Media Award-winning LGBTQ+ parenting site Mombian. Dana shares her personal family-building story from the early 2000s, detailing her and her partner’s experience with reciprocal IVF. She reflects on the medical complexities of syncing cycles and the legal hurdles they faced in New Jersey, where they successfully petitioned for a pre-birth parentage order to ensure both parents were legally recognized from the moment of their son’s birth.
The conversation explores the 21-year evolution of Mombian, which Dana started as a new parent to provide the queer-focused parenting news and commentary that she found was missing from mainstream media. A major cornerstone of her work is an extensive LGBTQ+ book database, created to help families find quality representation. Dana also discusses the inspiration behind LGBTQ Families Day, an annual celebration she founded to honor diverse family structures and foster community visibility during the “parental holiday season” each Spring.
Finally, Dana offers a nuanced look at the current state of LGBTQ+ family-building, noting that while there has been significant progress in marriage equality and inclusive fertility clinic practices, there is also a concerning “backsliding” through recent book bans and restrictive state legislation. She highlights the importance of organizations like COLAGE, elevates the voices of children of LGBTQ+ parents, and emphasizes that these families are “part of the world” with joys and challenges just like any other. To those just starting their journey, she offers a reminder that queer families have a long, rich history and that no one has to navigate the path to parenthood alone.
If you’re not familiar with AllPaths, I encourage you to check them out. They’re a nonprofit offering support, resources, and advocacy for anyone trying to grow their family. While their work is not exclusive to LGBTQ families, it is very inclusive; one of their core values is “Acknowledging that family building journeys are inexplicably tied to race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, household income, geographical location, sexual orientation, gender identity, and family makeup.”