For couples who are dreaming of having a child, surrogacy can be a great option. If you’re a hopeful same-sex couple considering surrogacy, there are gay-friendly surrogacy agencies who can help you. To get more information about how to find the right gay surrogacy agency for you, get in touch with a surrogacy professional today.
These 6 tips can help you find the best surrogacy agencies for gay couples and get started on your surrogacy journey.
1. Look for agencies that take a stance on LGBTQ issues.
When you look at surrogacy agency websites, often it is easy to see where they stand on LGBTQ issues in surrogacy.
Sometimes an agency will even call themselves a gay surrogacy agency or LGBTQ surrogacy agency. You might see the pride flag or other written or visual messages that show they support LGBTQ parenting and surrogacy—like pictures of LGBTQ couples, or messages that explicitly state the agency helps LGBTQ families.
2. Look for agencies that have content and information geared towards LGBTQ populations.
In addition to the immediately obvious signs that an agency supports LGBTQ surrogacy, you can also look for content specifically targeted toward LGBTQ families.
Agencies that make the extra steps to share information and resources for LGBTQ couples are often the best gay surrogacy agencies because it shows a commitment to follow through on their outward statements of support.
3. Ask a surrogacy professional if their agency supports LGBT surrogacy.
Sometimes asking an explicit question will give you the best information about an agency.
You can set up a call with surrogacy agencies any time, whether you are researching or ready to begin the surrogacy process immediately, and an agency’s response can tell you a lot. A great surrogacy agency for LGBTQ couples will be able to tell you immediately whether or not they will work with LGBTQ couples and will be able to walk you through any special considerations for LGBTQ couples.
Hesitance or discouragement can be a sign that the agency has not worked with LGBTQ couples or that external shows of support are not reflected by the agency’s staff.
4. Ask a surrogacy agency whether the agency has served couples like you before.
You can have an added level of confidence if your surrogacy agency has professional staff who have worked with LGBTQ individuals and couples before and know the ins and outs of getting you the help you will need along your journey.
5. Ask around and look at lists of gay-friendly surrogacy agencies.
Another great way to find the best gay-friendly surrogacy and egg donation agencies is to ask around—other LGBT friends, family members, or acquaintances may have used a surrogate, and might be able to direct you to a great agency for you.
There are also lists online like this one that have already been curated to help you find the best gay-friendly surrogacy agency for your family.
6. Look for agencies that have professional legal help available.
Surrogacy laws vary from state to state, and as an LGBT couple, there may be additional steps necessary depending on state law—for example, in some states, if only one parent is genetically related to your newborn baby, you may need to go through the legal steps of adoption.
These tips are only the start of what can be a long journey, but with help along the way, it can be a beautiful process. You can get more information now from a surrogacy professional.
