How to Become a Surrogate for an LGBTQ Couple

When you decide to become a surrogate, your goal for surrogacy might be to help a family that is not capable of having a biological child of their own. Have you considered carrying for a same-sex couple looking for a surrogate? 

The process for carrying for an LGBTQ intended parent is essentially the same as any other gestational surrogacy situation, and the ultimate goal remains the same — providing intended parents the life-changing opportunity to become parents.

This guide provides the information you need to start the surrogacy process and find a gay couple looking for a surrogate. Anytime you have questions about becoming a surrogate for a gay couple, or anything related to the process, you can fill out this online form to get more information. 

Becoming a gestational carrier is one of the most meaningful journeys you can undertake. Finding the best intended parents makes the process even better. Continue reading to learn more about choosing to surrogate for a gay couple. 

How to Become a Surrogate for a Gay Couple [4 Steps]

For many women, surrogacy is an exciting but somewhat confusing topic. Understanding where to start and how to reach your goals can be challenging at times. This guide is here to help make sense of it all and get you on the right track towards becoming a gestational surrogate for a gay couple. 

By working with a surrogacy agency, you can ensure you are following the appropriate steps to become a surrogate, and are doing so in a safe and legal manner. The process of becoming a gay couple surrogate can be broken down into four steps.

1. Find LGBT-friendly professionals.

Although laws are constantly changing for LGBTQ adoptions and surrogacies, finding a surrogacy agency that is experienced with becoming a surrogate for a gay couple may still be a challenge. The best rule of thumb, when you begin your search for a surrogacy professional, state your intentions early so there is no miscommunication or confusion later down the road.  

Understanding the intended parent qualifications helps everyone involved. With such an important decision, you want to make sure everything is crystal clear before signing with a specific agency. LGBT-friendly agencies and professionals generally tend to make it well known they are fully supportive of same-sex couples looking for a surrogate and honored to help make life-changing dreams come true.

2. Meet the requirements to become a surrogate.

As you may have determined, this is one of the most important steps in the surrogacy process. The screening process to become a surrogate is fairly extensive, as the number one priority is your health and safety. Each agency will have its own qualifications. Some of the qualifications include:

  • Being between the ages of 21-45
  • No smoking or drug use
  • No government assistance
  • Currently raising a child that you carried to full term without any complications
  • Have a stable lifestyle
  • No known medical or mental issues
  • No felony convictions
  • And more

If you meet these qualifications, you will be able to continue the screening process. This will include meeting with a surrogacy specialist to discuss your goals and motives, review your social and medical history, a complete physical exam, background checks, a mental evaluation, and more. 

The screening process is put into place to help protect everyone involved in the surrogacy process. Once you have passed these tests and checks, you will continue with your surrogacy journey and create your surrogate profile. This profile will act as an introduction to intended parents who are looking for a gay couple surrogate.

3. Determine your preferences for intended parents.

You may know you want be a gestational carrier for an LGBTQ couple, but what else should you look for? You will have the opportunity to match with singles or couples who share similar surrogacy goals with you during the pregnancy and after.

Once you have set your preferences for the same-sex couple looking for a surrogate you wish to find, your specialist will provide you with intended family profiles to review and determine if there is a connection. These profiles provide information on the intended family, such as age, location, stories, and more, all to give you a glimpse inside their lives. 

When you find the intended parents you are interested in, your specialist will facilitate a meeting between the two of you so that you can get to know each other better, ask any questions you may have, and address any concerns. This meeting aims to get everyone on the same page and determine if a match is the best decision. 

4. Begin the surrogacy process together.

When you are matched with the intended parents you will carry for, you will then move to the  surrogacy process itself:

  • Drafting and signing a surrogacy contract,
  • Undergoing the medical process of fertility medications and embryo transfer,
  • Experiencing pregnancy with the intended parents,
  • And eventually giving birth to the intended parents’ baby.

Depending upon the agreed level of involvement, intended parents will be there each step, including doctor’s visits, at the hospital, and more.

Depending upon where you live, state laws may dictate if additional steps are required in the process for the intended parents to receive full birthrights, but your surrogacy attorney and specialist will walk you through those steps if needed.

The medical process to become a surrogate for a gay couple or LGBT individual will be similar to that of a heterosexual couple. The only difference: Sperm or egg donation from a third-party donor will be required to complete the intended parents’ embryo.

Your Next Steps

Becoming a gestational surrogate for a gay couple is an incredibly rewarding and emotionally fulfilling experience. You are giving intended parents the opportunity to have a biological child and achieve their goals of becoming parents. Fill out this online form to speak with a surrogacy specialist about how you can find a same-sex couple looking for a surrogate.