LGBTQ+ Community’s Journey to Parenthood: Considering the health inequalities and the legal implications that exist in the pursuit of parenthood for the LGBTQ+ community in Northern Ireland.

This briefing paper sets out emerging evidence regarding the pursuit of parenthood for the LGBTQ+ community in Northern Ireland (NI).It identifies both the health inequalities and the legal implications faced by this community in the pursuit of parenthood and examines the implications for policy. The evidence is drawn from published studies; data from the Northern Ireland Life and Times (NILT) surveys (2012; 2018)and key findings of an in-depth research study that explored the human development and wellbeing of the LGBTQ+ community in Northern Ireland (NI) (Mackle, 2019). This in-depth study comprised 35 semi-structured interviews with individuals identifying as LGBTQ+ and 5 interviews with stakeholder organizations.