Today, I am a busy mom, working professional and a member of three boards, including serving as chair of Colorado Fertility Advocates (CFA), a nonprofit that supports increased access to reproductive and fertility care so all Coloradans — regardless of gender, sexual orientation, race, or income — have the ability to build a family.

However, just more than a decade ago, I was one of the millions of individuals — many who belong to the LGBTQ+ community, as I do — struggling with infertility. Though my wife and I knew we had to rely on donor gametes to help build our family, we did not anticipate the double whammy of facing infertility issues. Navigating both challenges created a journey that was long, expensive and emotionally taxing. And though my three healthy, beautiful and amazing children were worth every penny, every tear, and every obstacle we faced down — I cannot imagine how much harder it would have been if I had to also navigate the burdensome regulations currently in place in Colorado.

This is why I, and Colorado Fertility Advocates, support House Bill 1259. It protects access to affordable and equitable reproductive health care while also safeguarding the right for Colorado residents to build their family through donor gametes and fertility treatments, if needed. It also corrects provisions in a 2022 law that have inadvertently created barriers to donor availability.

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For example, though the 2022 legislation might have been well-intended, it has since led seven in 10 potential donors to reconsider donating. This is an alarming shortage. Without correction, this could drive up costs dramatically and restrict access to diverse donors, disproportionately affecting LGBTQ+ families like mine.

Fortunately, House Bill 1259 strikes the right balance: It ensures ethical and transparent donor policies without imposing unnecessary obstacles that could devastate family-building options. It also maintains reasonable limits on the number of families per donor while ensuring all parties — donors and recipient families — receive appropriate background information and education.

As anyone who has built their family using reproductive technology and donor gametes understands, every donor, every clinic, and every advancement is vital for those trying to conceive. The more we restrict access, the more families will be forced to seek costly, out-of-state solutions — or lose the chance to have children altogether. Also, if we do not actively protect access to fertility treatments, we risk losing the progress we have made in our state, as we have seen happen in other states and countries.

Though I am grateful to be on the other side of my journey to parenthood, I cannot imagine the heartbreak of seeing the opportunities afforded to me disappear for other families. The ability to have children should not depend on political whims or outdated restrictions. It should be protected as a fundamental right. We must come together as Coloradans to ensure donor-supported reproductive technology remains accessible, ethical and effective so families like mine, and countless others, can continue to exist and thrive.

This, and for so many reasons, is why I am urging lawmakers to pass HB-1259 — not just for me, but for all of the families still on their journey, for those who haven’t started yet and for every person who deserves the chance to create the family they choose.

Kristina Shaw is chair of Colorado Fertility Advocates.