GWK Academy: Free, Affirming and Inclusive Family-Building That Lets the Love Continue to Grow

With the state of U.S. politics becoming increasingly unsupportive of — and sometimes downright hostile to — the LGBTQ+ community, it might seem like an impossible time to build a family as a queer person.

The good news is, even with more restrictive laws and agencies, fertility clinics and other family-building services losing their specifically pro-queer marketing, there are still plenty of options to grow and begin your family as a same-sex couple. In fact, that’s just where GWK Academy comes to the aid of all queer couples looking to nurture or start their families.

Brian Rosenberg, who is now the Executive Director and Head Coach of GWK Academy, founded GWK Academy with his husband, Ferd, after struggling to begin their own family in the mid-to-late 2000s.

“Back then, there were very few resources available to help guide us as a gay couple, and even more so as a gay couple [in which] one of [us] (me) was living with HIV,” Rosenberg says. “We didn’t make a single decision feeling confident — we were navigating a complex, emotionally charged process in the dark, and constantly wondering if we were doing the right thing.”

After realizing that they could help make a difference by creating a path for queer couples to begin their family journeys, Rosenberg launched Gays With Kids, now known simply as GWK, which began as “a digital platform to celebrate, support and advocate for queer dads and dads-to-be.”

From there, Rosenberg created GWK Academy, first as just a platform of GWK, but later, as of earlier this year, “to be its own independent nonprofit organization [that supports] all paths and opportunities for family-building for all LGBTQ+ people, and all for free.”

“GWK Academy offers custom-designed, easy-to-understand courses for anyone exploring surrogacy, IVF, IUI and Reciprocal IVF, adoption and foster care — no matter where they’re starting from,” Rosenberg says.

With their one-on-one coaching, GWK Academy helps queer people turn their dreams of family-building into a reality through support, knowledge, coaching and much more.

And the absolute best part about it? They offer all of these services to the LGBTQ+ community completely free of charge. This is because, as Rosenberg says, “we believe every LGBTQ+ person who dreams of becoming a parent deserves the support, guidance and resources to make that dream a reality, without barriers, bias or big bills.”

Joel B. New, a first-time dad who used GWK Academy to help begin his family journey, is a wonderful example of how GWK Academy can truly change lives for the better.

“[GWK Academy] met me with open arms, zero judgment and an incredible depth of knowledge … From the initial training through post-placement support, they’ve been there every step of the way,” he says.

Of course, in 2025, LGBTQ+ families are seeing more and more discrimination and rejection than in recent years, and GWK Academy not only recognizes this but is actively working to combat it.

“We’re seeing a quiet but deeply concerning shift across the family-building landscape,” Rosenberg says. “Fertility clinics, adoption agencies and foster care organizations that once publicly celebrated LGBTQ+ inclusion are now pulling back — not necessarily because their values have changed, but because they’re afraid of political backlash, funding cuts, or scrutiny in this increasingly hostile climate.”

But this just means the work GWK Academy is doing is even more crucial.

“When institutions go silent, we get louder,” Rosenberg says. “And we won’t stop until every queer person knows they have a place in the parenting world — and a path to get there.”

Now is the time to rely on community more than ever. The LGBTQ+ community is a very powerful force when we all work together — and that’s just what GWK Academy is doing.

Rosenberg sums it up perfectly, saying, “You shouldn’t have to figure all of this out on your own … I see you. I know how hard this moment is. The laws, the rhetoric, the fear — it’s real. And it can make the dream of parenthood feel out of reach. But I promise you — you’re not alone, and there are still ways forward.”

In difficult, dark times like these, community and family are the most important things to cling to.

Rosenberg offers an uplifting call to action: “Most of all, don’t give up. I know this feels like a low point, but it won’t stay this way forever. Kids in the system — especially queer kids — need families like yours more than ever. And organizations like GWK Academy are here to walk alongside you, every step of the way.”

You are not alone in your parenting and family-building journey. If you’re looking to start or grow your family, check out GWK Academy to get the jumpstart and support you need. And if you aren’t looking to grow your family, but you’d like to support the community and the dreams of fellow queer people, you can help fund free, affirming and inclusive family-building resources by donating at givebutter.com/fundingGWKAcademy2025. Your donations are what make family-building support through GWK Academy a reality for our community.