“Everyone deserves the chance to start a family, no matter their sexuality or gender identity”
BY KATE OSBORNE MP
For far too many people, especially LGBTQIA+ people, the journey to parenthood remains unequal, expensive, stressful and too often deeply unfair.
That’s why events like The FamilyMakers Show matter so much. It was a pleasure to join the lesbian icon Linda Riley at a recent event in Newcastle for the opening discussion and help kick off such an important event.
The FamilyMakers Show is unique because it creates a space for LGBTQIA+ people and couples to access information, support and community as they think about starting a family. It was also a timely reminder that, while progress has been made, there is still a long way to go before fertility care is truly equal.
This is an issue I have campaigned on since I was first elected, not only because tackling discrimination is the right thing to do, but because I know personally how hard this journey can be.
As a queer woman, I have been through the IVF wringer more than once. When I was undergoing treatment with my then partner, we faced unnecessary procedures, long waiting lists and significant costs. Despite all those hurdles, I have two beautiful boys, and I know how lucky I am. But it was not easy.
That is why I feel such solidarity with those considering fertility treatment, those in the middle of it, and those who have already been through it. Every experience is different, but I understand something of the emotional, financial and physical toll it can take.
For many LGBTQIA+ people, fertility treatment is not one option among many – it’s one of the very few possible routes to parenthood. That makes the barriers we face even more unacceptable.
Too many people still encounter systems that were not designed with us in mind. Sometimes that discrimination is structural and costly; sometimes it appears in everyday moments, from invasive questions to forms that still say “mother” and “father” instead of “parent one” and “parent two”.
In 2026, who you love and where you live should not determine whether you get the chance to have a child. But for too many LGBTQIA+ people, that is exactly what happens.
Across England, there is still a postcode lottery in access to fertility treatment. Many same-sex couples are required to self-fund rounds of insemination before they can qualify for NHS-funded IVF, forcing some to spend tens of thousands of pounds or give up altogether.
That is one reason I set up the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Fertility, which I am proud to chair. I have raised this issue repeatedly in Parliament and will continue to do so.
What gives me hope is our community itself. Events like The FamilyMakers Show demonstrate the determination, generosity and solidarity that exist within it. That progress should be celebrated – but it should also push us to go further.
Everyone deserves the chance to start a family, no matter their sexuality or gender identity. I will continue to use whatever platform I have to fight for that.
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