June 28, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Yesterday, in Mahmoud v. Taylor, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a preliminary injunction that allows parents to opt their children out of LGBTQ+ inclusive school curriculum. The ruling raises serious concerns about the future of inclusive public education and whether all students will feel seen, respected, and supported in the classroom.
For donor conceived children, especially those with LGBTQ+ parents, visibility in the classroom matters. Inclusive books and lessons that reflect diverse family structures help reduce stigma, build understanding, and create space for children to talk openly about their families and genetic origins. Excluding LGBTQ+ inclusive storybooks from classroom materials sends a message that not all families are welcome or worthy of representation.
This ruling also risks undermining the progress we’ve made towards openness about donor conception. Safe, affirming environments are essential to helping children understand their origin stories in healthy and age-appropriate ways. As Haydn Hornstein-Platt, LCSW and U.S. Donor Conceived Council (USDCC) volunteer shared, “Acceptance of all family systems from schools is crucial for the maintenance of a safe learning environment for all children. Both physical and emotional safety are required in order for learning to occur.”
“As a donor conceived person raised by a lesbian single mom, I know firsthand the cost of having your family treated like a problem to be managed rather than a family to be affirmed,” said Jamie Spiers, Vice President of Stakeholder Engagement for USDCC and former Montgomery County Public Schools student. “This ruling sends the message that families like mine are something other students should be shielded from.”
LGBTQ+ families in our community have expressed concern that this decision could make it harder for their children to share their stories and feel understood at school. For many donor conceived adults raised in LGBTQ+ households, the ruling is a painful reminder of the lack of visibility and affirmation they experienced in childhood.
All children and their families deserve to be seen, respected, and represented in public education. USDCC urges educators, school districts, and community leaders to continue supporting inclusive curriculum that reflects the full diversity of today’s families, so that every child has the opportunity to learn in an environment where their identity and family are understood and affirmed.