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(415) 981-1960
media@ourfamily.org

Press releases & Announcements

CONTACT

(415) 981-1960
media@ourfamily.org

Blog / Announcement / Giving / Legislation & Policy

Celebrating Policy Wins in 2025

Here’s a look at four critical bills that passed this year, and why OFC fought for them on behalf of our families: Support Our Ongoing Advocacy Work Here SB 590 (Durazo)  Inclusive Paid Family Leave This law expands California’s Paid Family Leave (PFL) program to include chosen and extended family, not just legal or biological relationships....

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December 10, 2025
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Press Release / Blog

Men Having Babies & Our Family Coalition Announce 2025 West Coast Surrogacy Conference & Expo Amid Critical Policy Shifts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMarch 2025 Men Having Babies & Our Family Coalition Announce 2025 West Coast Surrogacy Conference & Expo Amid Critical Policy Shifts San Francisco, CA – As landmark policies like California’s SB 729 and recent federal executive orders reshape the landscape of IVF access and family formation, Men Having Babies and Our Family Coalition...

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March 11, 2025
Announcement / Blog / Legislation & Policy

FAQ: Senate Bill 729

What does SB 729 do?  SB 729 will require health plans to provide coverage for fertility care, including treatment for infertility and in vitro fertilization (IVF). The bill will also ensure that LGBTQ+ couples are not unfairly excluded from coverage. SB 729 is critical to achieving full-lived equality for LGBTQ+ people and advancing reproductive freedom...

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September 18, 2024
Blog / Announcement

Our Family Coalition Partners with Joon to Provide Affirming Therapy for LGBTQ+ Teens and Young Adults 

To better understand the needs of our community, Our Family Coalition conducted a needs assessment of its members. Affirming therapy was the number one gap identified. Taking that information very seriously in support of our mission of well-being, a partnership with Joon was forged to address mental health needs. Joon (www.joon.com) is defining and delivering...

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March 20, 2024
Multiple rainbow flags
Announcement / News / Pride

OFC Leaves Twitter

  For Immediate Release   Media Contact:Name: Q WilsonTitle: Communications & Development SpecialistPhone: 415.981.1960Email address: Q@OurFamily.org Twitter exodus continues ahead of Pride [SAN FRANCISCO, May 24,2023—] Our Family Coalition has made the decision to deactivate our Twitter accounts immediately due to Twitter quietly removing its longstanding policy aimed at protecting transgender people from targeted misgendering...

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May 25, 2023
SB- 729
Legislation & Policy / Action Alert / Announcement / Blog / Family Formation

Senate Bill 729

Exciting, news! Our IVF insurance bill, SB 729, passed the Senate Appropriations Committee yesterday. This is the farthest our bill has ever advanced, and it would not have happened without you and the 500+ advocates who contacted the Committee directly. Our bill is now headed to the Senate floor, and we need your help again! Please send this email to your State Senator...

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May 18, 2023

OFC in the news

Our Interview With Mimi Demissew, MBA, Executive Director of Our Family Coalition (OFC)

The Inspira Advantage Interview Team,
Inspira Advantage

August 8, 2025

Back-to-school Jitters

Joel Rosenblatt,
Gazetteer, San Francisco.

August 11, 2025

California Legislature Approves Landmark IVF Bill to Require Insurance Coverage for Fertility Healthcare, Sending Measure to Governor Newsom

California State Senator Caroline Menjivar,
AP News

August 29, 2024

Attorney General Bonta Announces Lawsuit Challenging Chino Valley Unified School District’s Forced Outing Policy

Office of the Attorney General,
Office of the Attorney General of California

August 28, 2023

IVF Coverage Mandate Legislation Close to Passage in California

Andrew Oxford,
Bloomberg Law

August 23, 2023

OFC Leaves Twitter

Q Wilson,

May 25, 2023

After Florida passes bill, LGBTQ parents ask: Which parents' rights?

Rachel Hatzipanagos,
Washington Post

May 9, 2022

Survey: 45% of LGBTQ youth contemplated suicide in past year

Rob Nesbitt,
KRON4 TV

May 4, 2022

Skokie native writes about creating an LGBTQ family

Melissa Wasserman,
Windy City Times

June 24, 2020

Check out our latest events

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Events

Thank you for joining us in celebrating and supporting LGBTQ families.

Every contribution, whether one-time or monthly, helps us honor the extraordinary LGBTQ families in our community. Our Family Coalition is the only organization in California dedicated to advancing equity and advocating on behalf of our families, and one of the few nationwide. By giving, you stand with us in pride and solidarity, ensuring that every family feels seen, valued, and celebrated. Your support has been crucial and with your help we can continue this legacy for generations.

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Community Annoucements

Share your event or opportunity

Announcements will appear:

  • in a blog post on our blog (published and archived on our website, which is viewed by over 2,500 unique visitors each month)
  • highlighted in our monthly e-newsletter (distributed to over 7,500 email addresses)

Listings must be:

  • Designed for or of particular value to LGBTQ families and children and/or prospective LGBTQ parents
  • Located in the San Francisco Bay Area, if in person, or available online/ virtually, if outside Northern California

Deadline:

  • Content submitted by the third Tuesday of the month will appear in in the following month’s newsletter.

We love lifting up the good work that members of our community and other social change organizations are doing in the Bay Area and beyond! Let us know if you wish to share a community event or opportunity with our families.

Community Announcements
Title of event or opportunity, including host organization if applicable. For example: "LGBTQ Parents & Parents-to-Be Support Circle" or "Seeking Gay Dads for Study"
Location and address in one line, if applicable. For example: "Natural Resources, 1367 Valencia St., San Francisco"; "Link to the Study or Info Page”
Up to 300 characters (with spaces; about 50 words), describing the event or listing. For example: "This group is offered for LGBTQ-parents and parents-to-be who are awaiting adoption, the birth of their child(ren) through surrogacy, or who are pregnant. Share newborn care tips and learn simple mindfulness practices to increase ease during this time of so many unknowns and exciting transitions.”
Upload a logo or an image you'd like to accompany your listing. (optional)
Accepted file types: jpg, png, gif. Maximum file size: 256 Mb.

For further information

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Events can be distributed up to 3 times. For events far in advance, please specify which months you would like the event to run in our e-newsletter.

Share your story

We’re looking for stories by or about LGBTQ+ parents/caregivers or prospective parents, as well as the grandparents or adult children of LGBTQ+ headed families.

Generally, we hope your story will not only inform other families on LGBTQ+ family topics, but also let others know that they are not alone in the journey of advocating for our families.

Whether you feel like you’ve arrived, or your story is not yet complete, know that we can keep one another company all along the way. And it always helps to feel a little less alone.

  • How is your family structured?
  • What is your family formation story?
  • Have you faced challenges in forming your family or parenting because of your identity?
  • How were you able to navigate these challenges?
  • What has been the impact on you/your spouse/children?
  • What systems/people helped guide you?
  • What advice would you have for other LGBTQ-headed families – or perhaps just your younger self?
  • How have you or your family dealt with challenges at schools, medical providers, or elsewhere?
  • Were there times when you expected resistance and instead were welcomed?
  • Do you have opinions you’d like to share about current events, or perhaps movies, TV shows, music, or more?
  • Do you have a story about how Our Family Coalition has had an impact on your or your family that you’d like to share?
Share your story

Upload your story content here - up to 1,000 characters

By checking this box, I consent to the content I've uploaded here, both written and photographic, to be published on Our Family Coalition's blog.

I understand that the content will be freely available on the internet and may be seen by the general public. I further understand that Our Family Coalition cannot be held liable for the theft and re-publication of this content.

I further understand that I will be given an opportunity to review (or revoke) the piece before it is published.

This consent will be treated confidentially.

Teacher Trainings and Professional Development

Each of OFC’s outstanding and practical workshops include:

  • Content learning, lesson plans and book lists​ that support teachers to have effective
    and developmentally supportive dialogue when teaching LGBTQ History
  • Reflective activities​ that allow participants to connect with their intersectional identities,
    gender stories and explore the dynamics of implicit bias to better challenge gender stereotypes
  • Current language and techniques​ to support families and teachers to talk more fluently
    and comfortably about all types of difference
  • Frameworks and models for effectively organizing coalitions​ interested in accountability
    and policy change in schools and organizations

Workshop topics:

  • LGBTQ History​: Teaching the New California History and Social Science Framework
  • LGBTQ-Focused Education Law and Policy​:​ Understanding Obligations and Protections
  • Implementing LGBTQ History:​ From Policy to Practice in your Region
  • Family Diversity:​ ​ The Early Childhood Classroom and Making All Families Visible
  • Gender Inclusion:​ ​ What is a Gender Spectrum and How Do I Reduce Gender Bias?
  • Transgender and Non-Binary Students​:​ How to Create Inclusive Spaces for All Genders
  • Anti-Bullying & Social Emotional Learning​:​ A Welcoming Schools Approach
  • Family and School Advocacy:​ Building Coalitions for Sustainable Change

For more information or to schedule a workshop, please contact the OFC Education Team: ​education@ourfamily.org

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