Why Colorado must act now to protect the right to build families | OPINION

By Kristina Shaw, CFA Chair, Mar 20, 2025 | Colorado Politics

Today, I am a busy mom, working professional and a member of three boards, including serving as chair of Colorado Fertility Advocates (CFA), a nonprofit that supports increased access to reproductive and fertility care so all Coloradans — regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, or income — have the ability to build a family. However, just more than a decade ago, I was one of the millions of individuals — many who belong to the LGBTQ+ community, as I do — struggling with infertility. Though my wife and I knew we had to rely on donor gametes to help build our family, we did not anticipate the double whammy of facing infertility issues. Navigating both challenges created a journey that was long, expensive and emotionally taxing. And though my three healthy, beautiful and amazing children were worth every penny, every tear, and every obstacle we faced down — I cannot imagine how much harder it would have been if I had to also navigate the burdensome regulations currently in place in Colorado.

This is why I, and Colorado Fertility Advocates, support House Bill 1259. It protects access to affordable and equitable reproductive health care while also safeguarding the right for Colorado residents to build their family through donor gametes and fertility treatments, if needed. It also corrects provisions in a 2022 law that have inadvertently created barriers to donor availability.