LGBTQ+ Pride Month is celebrated every year in June. The significance of June in the struggle for LGBTQ+ rights is marked by the Stonewall Riots, a series of violent confrontations that began in the early hours of June 28, 1969, between police and gay rights activists outside the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in the Greenwich Village section of New York City. The clashes continued for the next 5 days and although there had been other protests by LGBTQ+ groups, the Stonewall incident was probably the first time gays, lesbians and transgenders saw the value in coming together for a common cause, and as the riots progressed, an international gay rights movement was born.
Between 1969 to 2015, tremendous strides were made for the integration of the LGBTQ+ community into the society, with many states recognizing their right to marriage, and finally on June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down all state bans on same-sex marriage, legalized it in all fifty states.
Today, the LGBTQ+ is a thriving community with not only valid marriage licenses but also family building options like never before. With the legalization of same-sex marriage across the United States in 2015, the number of LGBTQ+ parents is also correspondingly on the rise.
Thanks to modern, sophisticated assisted reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization (IVF), surrogacy and artificial insemination (or IUI), LGBTQ+ couples and individuals can finally make their dreams of starting a family come true.
If deciding to go for LGBTQ+ surrogacy, there are various routes you can opt for to create a genetic connection between you and your child:
The most common fertility option for same-sex parents who are both males is in vitro fertilization (IVF) with a surrogate or gestational carrier. One partner will provide the sperm and the couple will get a donor egg to fertilize. Then they choose a gestational carrier or surrogate to carry and give birth to the baby.
Using a donated egg from one of the male partner's relatives and combining it with sperm from the other male partner. This way both the dads can enjoy a genetic link with the child.
Sperms from both the male partners are combined with eggs from the same donor. If two of the resulting embryos are implanted in the Gestational Carrier, and a twin pregnancy is successful, the twins will be siblings in the sense that they will share the same egg donor and each of them would be related genetically to both the dads, as well.
IUI using donor sperm is the simplest way for female same-sex couples to try to have a baby. The partner providing the egg and carrying the baby will be monitored and when she ovulates, a small volume of concentrated semen is injected directly into her uterus.
Reciprocal IVF in lesbian couples is also a very common practice where one partner carries the baby and the other one is the egg donor. This way both the mothers can enjoy a connection with the baby.
At Patriot Conceptions, we pride ourselves in being a single-parent and LGBTQ+ friendly agency and would love to work with you to help build your family. We also have ample resources regarding the selection of sperm/egg donors. To learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation services, visit:
- https://www.patriotconceptions.com/intended-parents-faq
- https://www.patriotconceptions.com/intended-parents-application
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