The LGBT dating app Grindr has expanded its presence in Washington, lobbying for broader access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) and surrogacy for same-sex couples as national debates over the ethics of such practices continue.
In early 2026, Grindr spent more than $400,000 on in-house lobbying and an additional $120,000 on two outside firms for advocacy efforts that included expanded “surrogacy and IVF access for same-sex couples,” according to Politico. Since registering to lobby in April 2025, the company has invested roughly $1.6 million in federal influence efforts, the outlet reported. The company has also backed legislation that would make it more difficult for minors to download the 18+ app and help provide HIV prevention funding.
Joe Hack, Grindr’s head of global government affairs, told Politico that the app is hosting a White House Correspondents’ Dinner party on April 24 and that the “interest level has been insane.” Politico said that both Democrats and Republicans “have been clamoring to get an invite.”
“We’re planting a flag,” Hack told the outlet. “We’ve been doing policy work here now for a year, and the issues we care about are important not just to us, but to our community.”
Grindr’s policy push reflects its broader strategy to promote what it calls “family formation” initiatives, particularly among its predominantly gay male user base. The company offers employees up to $300,000 over five years to cover adoption, IVF, and surrogacy costs.
CEO George Arison, who has described himself as politically conservative, has said government policy should reduce financial barriers to having children through IVF and surrogacy. In an article published by Grindr in 2024, Arison said a survey found that about 25% of “gay and bisexual men under age 35 want to have children” and “cost was by far the biggest impediment to having kids.”
“It is vital to advocate on behalf of our community by pushing to bring these costs down, which are uniquely high for gay men,” he said, “whether by allowing insurance-covered IVF treatments to be accessible in cases of surrogacy or by making family formation expenses tax deductible, like other healthcare expenses.”
Despite the lobbying effort, Arison told Politico in a recent interview that he doesn’t “want Grindr to get involved in politics at all.”
The push for expanded access comes as debates over IVF and surrogacy continue nationwide. President Donald Trump has taken steps to expand access to IVF and reduce costs, and Politico reported that Grindr’s advocacy has accelerated since Trump’s return to office.
Many Catholics and pro-life advocates have raised ethical and regulatory concerns about expanding IVF and surrogacy access, arguing that the growing commercial industry raises questions about oversight and child welfare.
In October 2025, CatholicVote President and CEO Kelsey Reinhardt criticized Trump’s efforts to promote IVF, warning that IVF results in the death of innocent human lives. As Zeale News previously reported, Reinhardt urged the administration to instead “invest in medicine that heals, not in an industry that creates life only to discard it.”
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