The future of LGBT fertility: Familymakers Show 2026
Written by Sofija Krasauska on 19th March 2026
The London Women’s Clinic is hosting three Familymakers shows across the UK: Newcastle, London and Brighton.
Over the weekend, Newcastle’s Live Theatre hosted the London Women’s Clinic (LWC) Familymakers Show.
Established in 1985, the LWC offers fertility treatments to women and couples across England and Wales. As one of the UK’s leading fertility centres for the LGBTQIA+ community, LWC’s Familymakers show was a culmination of fertility science: from IUI and donor sperm to egg freezing, reciprocal IVF, fertility coaching and surrogacy.
Guests were able to attend a variety of talks from experts and researchers with years of experience in the fertility sector.
Visiting fertility specialist Vanessa Ross, from Australia, hosted a talk on egg freezing.
Guest speakers included LGBTQIA+ activist and Lesbian Visibility Week founder Linda Riley, Labour MP for Jarrow & Gateshead East Kate Osbourn and Deputy Cabinet Member at Hackney Council for the Hoxton East & Shoreditch ward, and fertility advocate Anya Sizer.
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The free event was supported by LGBTQIA magazine DIVA, Kind IVF, London Egg Bank and more.
Attendees were able to talk to leading LGBTQIA fertility clinic specialists in the UK.
Cllr Anya Sizer has been in the fertility sector for over 20 years. As a patient advocate, she honours her own IVF journey when working with patients- those who may be on the verge of losing hope, and lacking representation and support from society- all due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.
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Ms Sizer highlights the need for LGBTQIA representation in the media and adverts: “It’s not woke. We need to get to a point where that just is another family. Who cares, you know?”
“I think we’re at a real turning point as a country, where I worry we can go one of two ways, and it’s up to people like us to make sure there’s lots of days like these and not to take it all for granted”.
The LWC is planning to unveil their new clinic in Newcastle this spring. Their closest North East location is in Darlington, where more than 3,000 babies have been born following IVF treatment since the clinic’s opening in 2004.
According to data from the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority (HFEA), around 20,700 babies were born following IVF treatment across the UK in 2023.
IVF births are making up a higher proportion of all UK births over time, increasing from 1.3% in 2000 to 3.1% in 2023. This suggests that 1 in 32 births were via IVF, compared to 1 in 43 in 2013.
For more information about the LWC, you can visit their website by clicking here.
All photographs were taken by Sofia Krasauska with consent from event organisers.
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