The fight over when and how to build a family has moved from the personal to the political, with two unlikely advocates teaming up to demand change. Grindr CEO George Arison and Colorado Senator John Hickenlooper are pushing a package of federal and state reforms aimed at making fertility treatment and family formation more affordable and less legally fraught for all Americans.
In an op-ed published Wednesday, the two men drew on their own struggles with parenthood. Arison, who became a father through surrogacy after a nearly three-year ordeal, and Hickenlooper, who was told he had a one-in-a-million chance of conceiving without IVF before welcoming a son, argue that the current system is broken. “No one should have to win the financial or legal lottery to become a parent,” they wrote.
The pair’s proposal comes as fertility care has become a rare area of bipartisan interest. When Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently shared her own difficulties navigating the costly fertility system, she drew praise from both progressive and conservative commentators. “As a nation, we disagree on many things,” the authors note, “but we agree that having a family is a gift and a right.”
Three practical fixes
The op-ed outlines three concrete reforms. First, they want to make all fertility-related expenses—including IVF and surrogacy—fully tax deductible. Families often spend tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars on treatment, and the authors argue these costs should be treated like any other essential medical expense.
Second, they call on the federal government to update insurance rules so employers can more easily offer comprehensive fertility and surrogacy benefits. While some plans cover parts of IVF, coverage for medical care tied to surrogacy is inconsistent. Arison notes that his own company offers employees up to $300,000 in family formation support, and he wants other businesses to have the flexibility to do the same.
Third, they urge states to follow Colorado’s lead in passing clear parentage laws, including pre-birth orders that establish legal parentage before a child is born. This would eliminate the “avoidable legal confusion” that can cloud what should be a joyful moment. The authors also want federal policy to adopt a modern medical definition of infertility—one that recognizes a person’s inability to achieve a successful pregnancy based on their full medical and reproductive history, rather than just months of failed attempts.
Growing momentum
The push is already gaining ground. Colorado and California have expanded access to fertility care, and Arison backed California’s landmark IVF insurance coverage law. The authors argue that employers are increasingly seeing family-building support as both good policy and good business.
“Like all Americans, our stories are different. Our politics are not identical,” they write. “But parenthood has a way of clarifying priorities.” They conclude that making family formation easier “should not be controversial” and should be “one of the easiest decisions we make for a better America.”
The op-ed arrives amid broader debates over family policy and economic pressures on households. Recent comments from lawmakers have acknowledged the financial strain on families, and new proposals on food assistance highlight the ongoing focus on family support. The authors’ call for modernizing family formation policy is likely to resonate with both parties as they look for common ground.
