Laine Halpern Zisman’s latest book Conceivable: A Guide to Making 2SLGBTQ+ Family (Fernwood, 2024) is the first book of its kind in Canada.

Laine Halpern Zisman is an adjunct professor at the School of Public Health and Social Policy at the University of Victoria. She is founder and project lead on Family Building Canada (familybuildingcanada.com) and a Certified Fertility Support Practitioner with Birth Mark in Toronto. Her research traverses the intersections of 2SLGBTQ+ equity, culture, and reproductive care.

We are honored to have Laine here with us today to talk about about her work.

*Concievable* by Laine Halpern Zisman (Fernwood, 2024)

Q: What is one thing you think people would be surprised to learn about the state of reproductive care in Canada?

A: Fertility care in Canada might not always be what you expect, which is why I always say to 'expect the unexpected.' There’s no national standardization of cost, wait times, and access, and that can lead to major gaps. Access, funding, and finding a clinic that fits your needs can vary drastically depending on your province or territory (and even your city). For example, some provinces have many clinics in city centres, while others have one clinic or none at all. Some provinces offer coverage for treatments like IVF, while others provide nothing at all, leaving patients to pay out of pocket (anywhere from $10,000-$100,000). On top of that, there’s no consistent system to help you navigate options, policies, or timelines. This lack of standardization is why advocacy is so critical—people need to know their rights, push for transparency, and demand equitable, accessible care no matter where they live.

**About Conceivable:**

Conceivable: A Guide to Making 2SLGBTQ+ Family moves beyond the birds and the bees to consider the politics, challenges, choices and opportunities for agency and joy involved in 2SLGBTQ+ fertility, conception and family building in Canada. With contributions from healthcare workers, mental health professionals and support people in the field of reproductive health and 2SLGBTQ+ sexual care, this book is an honest and thorough look at growing your family.

Conceivable is for birthing parents, non-gestational parents, families seeking a surrogate or donor, and those who do not yet know what they need. With illustrations, worksheets and activities to help you think about the intimate questions of communication, relationship building and community, this guide will prepare you with the knowledge you need to navigate advocacy, rights and regulations.

More about Laine Halpern Zisman:

In addition to Conceivable, Laine has published two collected volumes, Women and Popular Culture in Canada (2020) and the second edition of Queerly Canadian, co-edited with Professor Scott Rayter (2023), as well as multiple scholarly articles in academic journals and collected volumes.

Halpern Zisman received a SSHRC Partner Engage Grant (2023) and SSHRC Connection Grant (2022) to support activities related to HIV In My Day at the University of Victoria, as well as a Community One Foundation Grant (2023) to launch a new online platform for 2SLGBTQ+ Family Building (familybuildingcanada.com). She is the recipient of a CIHR Health Hub fellowship (2022); CATR O'Neill Book Prize (2022); a Graduate Mellon Fellowship (2017); and Course Instructor Teaching Excellence Award.