6 Recent Picture Books About Queer Adoptive Families
Representation matters now more than ever. November is National Adoption Month, so I’m highlighting six recent picture books that feature queer families adopting both infants and older children.
Starting
California Expands Access to IVF and Makes Infertility Care More LGBTQ Inclusive
California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) signed legislation yesterday updating the definition of “infertility” to make it more inclusive of LGBTQ and single people, and requiring large insurers to cover the diagnosis and treatment of (in)fertility services, including in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Gays With Kids Founder Talks Parenting and Progress
Brian Rosenberg is on a very personal mission to help LGBTQ+ people build their families. When he was in his 20s and 30s, he said in an interview, “Gay men were not thinking about becoming parents because everyone who would have done it was dying, and many of us, like myself, have HIV, and so we weren’t planning for it.”
The Mayo Clinic’s Fertility and Pregnancy Guides Are More LGBTQ-Inclusive Than Ever: How Do They Measure Up?
Backed by the authority of the venerable Mayo Clinic, two new guides on fertility and pregnancy are more LGBTQ inclusive than ever. Should LGBTQ prospective and new parents add them to their collections? Here are my reviews.
Helpusadopt.org Increases Adoption Grants Up to $30,000
Helpusadopt.org, a national adoption grant program, has announced it is increasing its maximum adoption grants from $20,000 to $30,000 in order to help families in financial need with the rising costs of adoption.
PregnantTogether Offers Queer People Community and Support for Family Building and Beyond
Queer parents and prospective parents can sometimes have a hard time finding support and community. Marea Goodman, a licensed midwife and queer parent, is hoping to make that easier with PregnantTogether, a growing virtual community for queer and solo parents and parents-to-be.
New Animated Video Series Offers Stories for and About Donor-Conceived Kids
A new animated video series offers stories for kids who were conceived via various forms of donor conception, in a variety of family types! They cover topics like what donor conception is, what a donor sibling is, and how donor-conceived kids can respond to questions about their families. Watch the first episode here!
Federal Bill to End Discrimination Against LGBTQ Youth and Parents in Foster Care and Adoption Introduced for 8th Time
The John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act (ECDFA), a federal bill that would prohibit discrimination against LGBTQ prospective parents and LGBTQ youth in foster care and adoption, has just been reintroduced in Congress for the eighth time. Might this be the time it passes?
The Battle to Protect IVF
I started my family more than two decades ago via in vitro fertilization (IVF), and I’ve watched with growing alarm as the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision that overturned federal abortion rights two years ago has also endangered access to this common fertility technique. Jennifer Klein, director of the White House Gender Policy Council, spoke with me about the threat and the Biden administration’s response.
New Study Explores Fears and Barriers for Queer Parents Seeking Help with Postpartum Mental Health
Queer birthing parents who faced postpartum mental health challenges often avoided seeking help because of fears of being declared unfit, the involvement of child welfare services, the stigma of mental illness, and concerns about racism, homophobia, and transphobia, according to a new study.
