I am convinced that practically everyone has considered what they will do in the far future. After spending our early years having fun and seeing the world, many people take on the greater responsibility of starting and raising a family. This work requires hours of planning, whether it is financial, living arrangements, or how large they want their family to be, but for some others, there is even more areas of thought that need to be considered. Many people throughout the LGBTQ community have to face a few more hurdles than most people think when it comes to starting a family.
One of the many challenges that the LGBTQ community is facing in starting a family revolves around legal complexities and inconsistencies. In many regions, outdated laws fail to recognize same-sex relationships or provide adequate protections for LGBTQ parents and their children. Adoption processes can be arduous, with discriminatory practices and biases present within adoption agencies. Moreover, access to reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization or surrogacy may be limited or legally restricted for LGBTQ individuals, further hindering their ability to conceive or adopt. This has also become a more concerning problem due to the reversal of Roe vs. Wade decision by the Supreme Court because many people of the LGBTQ community fear that the courts will continue to make it more difficult or add complexity to these processes or in a more extreme scenario, begin heading towards getting rid of their rights when it comes to having children.
Societal stigma and prejudice also are a significant barrier to family-building within the LGBTQ community. Despite increasing acceptance and visibility, homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia persist in various forms, manifesting in discrimination, harassment, and violence. LGBTQ individuals contemplating parenthood may face judgment and condemnation from their families, communities, or religious institutions, exacerbating feelings of isolation and marginalization. Fear of discrimination or hostility towards their children deter LGBTQ individuals from pursuing parenthood, fearing the potential impact on their family’s well-being and safety.
Financial constraints represent another formidable obstacle for the LGBTQ community seeking to start a family. The costs that come with adoption, assisted reproductive technologies, and legal processes can be prohibitively expensive, placing parenthood out of reach for many within the community, particularly those from marginalized backgrounds. Furthermore, the LGBTQ community may encounter employment discrimination or lack workplace benefits such as parental leave or health insurance coverage for fertility treatments, furthering their financial burdens.
With having someone in their family in the LGBTQ community who is beginning to plan out a timeline about when they want to start a family, there are more areas that they have to consider than many people believe. Although planning out parenthood is difficult for everyone, those in the LGBTQ community are at a statistical disadvantage to those who are not, which means that their timeline for parenthood is going to be more complex than the normal timeline and will potentially need to be more thought out. It is terribly disappointing that the United States is shifting towards a direction that complicates basic human rights for those in the LGBTQ community, but with enough time and thoughtful consideration, those in the LGBTQ community have continuously found a way to enjoy one of life’s greatest journeys.
Thinking about your future is exciting but also scary — there are so many unknowns that you can’t always plan for. Hearing that is is especially hard for those in the LGBTQ+ community is disheartening. It is unfair that some people are not even able to adopt a child simply because of their sexuality. I hope to see equality improve despite the overturning of Roe vs. Wade.
It is truly unfortunate among the stigmas of starting a family for an LGBTQ+ partnership there can also be legal action that can be hindering. I believe starting a family is such a unique experience for everyone, and we should honor those structures. Family is what makes life so special and it saddens me this can be taken away from someone.
It truly breaks my heart thinking about the struggle that LGBTQ+ couples have to go through just to start a family. I always think of adoption as the most straight forward option, but despite how many children are in orphanages, the adoption process is ridiculously expensive, time consuming, and it not always an option for these couples. There are so many barriers towards LGBTQ+ couples trying to start a family, and I hope this is something more people can learn about, and start bridging solutions towards.