Family Equality highlights the struggle facing LGBTQ families
Nats Getty (L) and Gigi Gorgeous (R) receive an award at the Family Equality Los Angeles Impact Awards 2019.
Photo by Tibrina Hobson
Newly married YouTube star/trans activist Gigi Gorgeous and her wife, Nats Getty, were excited to be honored at the Family Equality 2019 LA Impact Awards. The nonprofit organization strives to help LGBTQ families, who seek to form or expand their families through adoption, foster care, and surrogacy.
Over 400 guests gathered at the home of Joey Gonzalez and Jonathan Rollo to show their support, enjoying a performance by Cheyenne Jackson, incredible stories, and celebration of those who make a difference in the fight for legal and lived equality. The fundraiser succeeded in raising nearly $700,000 to support Family Equality’s work.
“We are thrilled to join the Family Equality network of supporters, and do everything in our power to help increase inclusivity in the fertility world,” Gorgeous Getty told the Los Angeles Blade. “So that people like ourselves are able to ask questions without doubt or humiliation. To know how to navigate roadblocks and ultimately never feel discredited. And at the very least, understand that all humans have the right to love and be loved. To have a family. And have options…without bigotry.”
The couple received the 2019 Murray-Reese Family Award for paving the way for future LGBTQ+ parents everywhere by sharing their experiences as an LGBTQ+ couple via Youtube, a feature-length documentary (“This is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous”), and a book (“He Said, She Said: Lessons, Stories, and Mistakes from my Transgender Journey.”)
Being honest and open with her audience and really sharing her side of the fertility experience, with no filters or bs, was important to Gorgeous Getty.
“We wanted to really show what was happening at the fertility clinics… We need to have access to doctors who specialize in non-discriminatory fertility treatments, resources, and education on the options for LGBTQIA+ people. I can truthfully make that statement based off of Nats’ and my own experience with our own fertility story.”
Nats Getty has been so proud of Gigi, for having the courage to talk about the fertility challenges they have dealt with.
“I’m honestly blown away by Gigi’s strength to tell this story, and I know the reason she was able to was because of the constant love and support from her family and fans,” Nats Getty said. “By sharing this, she’s definitely touched the lives of others dealing with similar difficulties. This shows the importance of continuing to live out loud, share our stories, and be heard.”
Nats Getty is “very happy” that an organization like Family Equality exists.
“Despite the current time that we are in as a couple, the experience of pursuing family planning was still incredibly traumatizing for us,” Nats Getty acknowledged. “We still have a long way to go as a society, but are grateful for the work this organization has done so that young couples don’t have to go through what we went through. Without people like Gigi who are willing to be vulnerable and tell their stories, progress wouldn’t be made. Living out loud is necessary, and what needs to happen in order to create change.”
On October 18th, the Washington Blade is honoring Getty’s philanthropist mom, Ariadne, for her work with a variety of LGBTQ causes and institutions..
“It’s so dope that I come to an event honoring Gigi and I get to run into my mom here, who is about to be honored,” enthused Nats Getty. “It’s amazing and magical; it speaks so much about our family.”
Ariadne Getty is over the moon about her and Gigi’s family joining together. “I love their family dynamic, there is a lot of fun and joy that they experience with Gigi as her authentic self. It’s wonderful to be around.”
Family Equality’s 2019 Corporate Impact Award honored dedicated LGBTQ+ allies California Cryobank, a company which has supported thousands of LGBTQ+ families since 1977. The award was presented by creator and star of the critically-acclaimed comedy show and podcast, “Don’t Tell my Mother,” Nikki Levy, who was at the event with her wife, Scarlett Davis.
“It was an honor to present the Corporate Impact Award to Scott Brown of California Cryobank tonight,” said Levy.
“Scott has spearheaded California Cryobank to be the preeminent sperm bank for the lgbtq+ community. I joke that California Cryobank is the creme de la creme of creme. I can say that because I’m a client! In 2015, I was a single lesbian looking to freeze some embryos. Cut to now, I just got married and am ready to pop those babies (literally) in the oven. Family Equality is such an important organization because it helps people like me – queer people – make their dreams of having a family come true.”
She continued: “They say it takes a village to raise a kid, but when you’re LGBTQ+, sometimes it takes a village to make one! Family Equality is a key part of that village.
Levy’s next event is “Don’t Tell My Mother! Coming Out Show,” which happens Saturday, October 12 at Catch One, and will feature true stories from “Schitt’s Creek” star Emily Hampshire, LGBTQ+ activist and influencer Miles McKenna, comic Nicky Paris, Chanty Marostica.
Original Post by Susan Hornik in the Los Angeles Blade