Families Out Loud Brings Resources, Community, and Hope to LGBTQ+ Future Parents in San Diego

By Cesar A Reyes

For many LGBTQ+ people, the dream of becoming a parent begins with a simple question: Could we have a family of our own?

For queer couples, that question is often followed by many others. Adoption, surrogacy, IVF, donor programs, legal protections, and financial planning can create a complicated landscape that feels overwhelming to navigate. While information exists, finding trusted guidance and LGBTQ+-affirming professionals is not always easy.

That experience is exactly what inspired Mike Snaric and George Moore to create Families Out Loud.

The married couple, who are parents to twin boys, know firsthand the challenges that can come with building a family. Their own journey included IVF, egg donation, and surrogacy, requiring extensive research, planning, and decision-making.

“The honest answer is that Families Out Loud came out of our own experience,” Mike says. “When we set out to build our family, we ran into the same wall a lot of people do. There was information everywhere and clarity almost nowhere.”

As they navigated the process, they realized the challenge wasn’t simply finding information—it was finding reliable information. They also discovered something many LGBTQ+ prospective parents experience: isolation.

“There was also the isolation,” Mike says. “We didn’t have a room full of people who had been through it to lean on.”

While LGBTQ+ families have become increasingly visible over the past two decades, practical resources have not always been as accessible. Many people spend months piecing together information through online searches, social media groups, and personal referrals.

For Mike and George, it became clear there was a need for a community-centered resource designed specifically for LGBTQ+ people exploring parenthood.

“We decided to build the thing we wished we’d had,” Mike says.

Founded in February 2025, Families Out Loud focuses on education, connection, and access. The organization brings together fertility experts, surrogacy agencies, adoption professionals, attorneys, donor programs, medical providers, and families who have already traveled the path themselves. The goal is to help prospective parents understand their options and move forward with confidence.

After a successful launch event in Austin, Texas, Families Out Loud is now bringing its mission to San Diego, a city that holds special meaning for the founders.

Mike spent years working at San Diego Fertility Center, helping families navigate fertility care, and the couple built strong connections within the local family-building community.

“San Diego has always been our second home,” Mike says. “It feels right to gather this community in a place that means so much to our family.”

Families Out Loud San Diego will take place the weekend before San Diego Pride, connecting the celebration of LGBTQ+ lives with the growing visibility of LGBTQ+ families.

The weekend begins Friday, July 10, with a cocktail mixer bringing together parents, future parents, providers, advocates, and community partners. On Saturday, July 11, attendees will gather at The Pendry San Diego for a full-day family planning expo and conference dedicated entirely to LGBTQ+ family-building.

Educational sessions will cover adoption, fostering, surrogacy, IVF, egg donation, sperm donation, legal considerations, financial planning, and emerging reproductive technologies. Attendees will also have opportunities to meet directly with organizations and professionals who can help guide their next steps.

One of the event’s biggest goals is eliminating the uncertainty that often comes at the beginning of the family-building journey.

“Nobody should have to figure this out alone,” Mike says. “A couple who walks in with nothing but a dream can walk out with a real plan and a community behind them.”

That sense of community is just as important as the information being shared. Hearing directly from LGBTQ+ parents who have already built families can make the process feel less intimidating and more attainable.

“Becoming a dad to our twin boys changed everything for me,” George says. “What inspires me is the chance to show other people that this life, the one we have now, is absolutely within reach for them too.”

That message is reflected in Families Out Loud’s guiding word for the year: Visibility.

“The WORD is Visibility,” Mike says. “Everything we do comes back to being seen.”

For queer families, visibility is about more than representation. It creates a roadmap for people who may still be wondering if parenthood is possible for them.

“When queer families are visible, out loud and unafraid, it does two things at once,” Mike says. “It tells the world that we belong here, and it tells the person who is silently wondering, ‘Could I ever have this?’ that the answer is yes.”

At its heart, Families Out Loud exists to ensure that no one has to navigate the path to parenthood alone. By bringing together resources, expertise, and lived experience, Mike and George are helping LGBTQ+ people transform the dream of family into a plan for the future—and showing that the journey is possible.