During Pride Month, a Norwalk Fertility Practice is Helping LGBTQ+ Families Navigate the Path to Parenthood

As Pride Month celebrations unfold across Connecticut and New York, one Norwalk-based fertility practice is focusing on a different kind of celebration: helping LGBTQ+ individuals and couples build the families they've always envisioned.

Illume Fertility, headquartered in Norwalk, is marking Pride Month with a series of community events, educational programs, and outreach efforts designed to support LGBTQ+ people exploring their options for parenthood. The initiative includes participation in Pride celebrations throughout the region and a free family-building event at the practice's Norwalk office.

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For Dr. Mark Leondires, founder and medical director of Illume Fertility, the work is deeply personal.

Leondires and his husband built their own family through surrogacy, an experience that continues to shape the way he approaches patient care.

"Having built my own family through surrogacy, I understand firsthand both the joy and complexity of the family-building journey for LGBTQ+ individuals and couples," Leondires said. "We want prospective parents to know they have options, resources, and a care team that truly understands their experience."

While awareness of LGBTQ+ family-building options has grown significantly over the last two decades, many prospective parents still face questions about fertility treatment, surrogacy, donor options, legal considerations, insurance coverage, and costs. For those just beginning the process, finding reliable information can often feel overwhelming.

To help address those questions, Illume Fertility will host a free educational event, LGBTQ+ Family Building 101, on June 15 at its Norwalk office. The program will feature presentations from fertility specialists, opportunities for attendees to ask questions, and personal stories from former patients who successfully built their family through surrogacy.

Topics will include IVF, reciprocal IVF, sperm and egg donation, gestational surrogacy, genetic testing, insurance considerations, and the financial realities of family-building.

The event is part of a broader Pride Month campaign that includes participation in Westchester Pride in White Plains, Pride in the Park in Norwalk, the Westport Pride Celebration, and Milford Pride on the Green.

For many attendees, these conversations are about more than medical procedures. They are about creating a roadmap toward parenthood.

Illume Fertility has long been involved in LGBTQ+ family-building education and support. The practice created Gay Parents To Be, a national resource platform that offers educational guides, webinars, expert insights, and tools specifically designed for LGBTQ+ intended parents.

The practice's commitment to inclusive care has also earned national recognition. Recently, Illume Fertility was named an LGBTQ+ Healthcare Equality Leader by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation for the eighth consecutive year, one of the organization's highest distinctions for healthcare providers serving LGBTQ+ patients. The practice is also the only free-standing fertility center in the Northeast to earn the designation.

As Pride Month continues, Leondires hopes events like these help prospective parents feel empowered to explore their options and connect with others who have successfully navigated the journey before them.

"Building a family can look different for everyone," he said. "Our goal is to ensure people have the information, support, and confidence they need to take that first step."