We’re a lesbian couple who’s had treatment at Shady Grove, GW, and CFA. We also did a consult with CCRM. We didn’t experience homophobia anywhere. That said, we felt that our queer identities were most understood and appreciated at CFA (with CCRM as second best).

Anonymous wrote:Shady Grove is a factory and I moved on because my doc was MIA and my nurse was an idiot, but I did not find them homophobic....They want to make money from everyone!!!

Shady Grove is not homophobic, of course. But they also do not cater specifically to LGBT in any way (part of the “factory” issue — they do not personalize care at all for anyone)

Columbia is much better. They have medical providers who identify as LGBT. They can recommend LGBT counselor/therapists (meeting with a counselor is a requirement to using donor egg or sperm). They are way more willing to work with different set ups like if you want to use a donor known to you, rely on natural remedies, work with midwives, etc. If you are trans they also seem knowledgeable about the hormone issue and their forms ask for pronouns.

Shady Grove is a factory and I moved on because my doc was MIA and my nurse was an idiot, but I did not find them homophobic....They want to make money from everyone!!!

Anonymous wrote:I tried Shady Grove and wasn’t impressed. They kept referring to my wife as “partner” no matter how many times I correct them and say wife. Something tells me they’re not referring to straight women’s husbands as partner.

I think you may be reading too much into it. Shady Grove is great. They helped us and many of our gay friends to become parents. Good luck!

Anonymous wrote:Straight Watson here. I’ve been at three different clinics, but not Shady Grove. I think they always called my husband partner. It’s a catch-all word and there are a lot of different relationships they deal with.

Ha. Straight woman.

Straight Watson here. I’ve been at three different clinics, but not Shady Grove. I think they always called my husband partner. It’s a catch-all word and there are a lot of different relationships they deal with.

Anonymous wrote:I tried Shady Grove and wasn’t impressed. They kept referring to my wife as “partner” no matter how many times I correct them and say wife. Something tells me they’re not referring to straight women’s husbands as partner.

Lesbian mom of an 18 and 14 year old here: please take it down a notch. I promise there have literally been hundreds, if not thousands, of queer moms/moms to be that have walked through the halls of Shady Grove. You’re not a novelty or some new phenomenon. Everyone is referred to as a partner.

Anonymous wrote:To be honest, if that’s your most glaring gripe you are in for a long road. There are so many frustrations from billing to scheduling and so much more eBay I wouldn’t focus on that.

This. Shady Grove is very LGBT-friendly. There have literally been thousands of couples to receive outstanding treatment there. I would focus more on the medical care (and success) than what may be perceived as a slight. I honestly don't think it was intended to be. I personally know four LGBT couples who had successful treatment there.

I am straight and my clinic refers to my husband as my partner too, even immediately after I tell them my husband is in the waiting room and to bring him back.

To be honest, if that’s your most glaring gripe you are in for a long road. There are so many frustrations from billing to scheduling and so much more eBay I wouldn’t focus on that.

My wife and I are seeing Dr Kay Waud at Dominion and she and the whole staff have been great. We are doing reciprocal IVF so it's bit more complicated then just doing IUI.

Dr. Rafat Abbasi at Columbia Fertility is incredibly LGBT friendly. For what it's worth, my wife and I are a same sex couple and we started at Shady Grove. It's probably less of a discriminatory reference and more of a "let's just use this blanket term because it's easier" reference. They are a huge operation, and our issue with SG was that they wouldn't divert from their cookie cutter, high stim protocol even though my wife had miserable results for a few back to back retrieval cycles.

I agree with PP. I'm at another clinic and they also refer to my husband as partner. I never actually gave it much thought since I assume they deal with so many different relationship dynamic that they probably view that as the "safe" word.

Just for reference, they referred to my husband as "partner". All res that I have been to have done so. I have no idea how LGBT friendly they are otherwise.

I tried Shady Grove and wasn’t impressed. They kept referring to my wife as “partner” no matter how many times I correct them and say wife. Something tells me they’re not referring to straight women’s husbands as partner.