Heritage Foundation Attacks LGBTQ Families

Heritage Foundation’s “Saving America by Saving the Family” Blueprint Privileges Heterosexual Parenthood

By: Paul Goldberg, Senior Editor | JRL CHARTS – LGBTQ Politics

WASHINGTON, D.C. — (January 28, 2026) — The Heritage Foundation, the conservative powerhouse behind the controversial Project 2025 agenda, has unveiled a sweeping new policy report that critics say directly threatens the legal standing and financial security of LGBTQ families across the United States. Titled Saving America by Saving the Family, the document promotes a narrow definition of “traditional” family rooted in heterosexual biological parenthood — a framework that would systematically exclude many same-sex parents from key federal benefits and protections if adopted into law.

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While the report is being framed by its authors as a blueprint for strengthening American families, LGBTQ advocates and civil rights experts warn that its real-world impact would be far more exclusionary. By redefining who qualifies as a “legitimate” parent and restricting access to tax credits, adoption incentives, and education savings programs, the proposal would effectively sideline thousands of same-sex households — raising fresh concerns about government-sponsored discrimination in family policy.

Report Frames Traditional Family as “Foundation of Civilization”

The conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation released a sweeping new report titled Saving America by Saving the Family, outlining what it says is a roadmap to reverse “America’s family crisis.” The authors assert that children flourish best in homes with married biological parents — defined strictly as a man and a woman — and that this traditional structure should be the cornerstone of federal policy.

Exclusion of LGBTQ Families

According to the report’s premise, marriage exists to unite “a man and a woman…to be father and mother to any children their union produces.” From that definition, same-sex couples — who cannot biologically produce children together — are implicitly excluded from the report’s concept of a “good” family.

The report argues that legal recognition of same-sex marriage has contributed to what its authors label a “crisis” in family stability — an assertion that advocates say undermines decades of progress for LGBTQ rights.

Policy Recommendations That Target LGBTQ Parents

Restructured Tax Benefits

One major recommendation in the report is a redefined family tax credit that would require both parents claiming the credit to be the “biological parents” of a child — a provision that would explicitly bar many same-sex couples who rely on adoption, surrogacy, or donor conception.

The proposal would also tie NEST college savings accounts and the adoption tax credit to this redefined family, effectively prioritizing heterosexual biological parenthood over other family structures — including those that are central to how LGBTQ families are formed.

Critics say these proposals do more than encourage marriage — they would systematically disincentivize or penalize families that fall outside the report’s narrow definition. Advocates for LGBTQ and reproductive rights have noted that privileging biological family structures ignores the diversity of modern American families and risks deepening inequality.

Surrogacy and “Natural” Parenthood

The report goes further, criticizing surrogacy — a common path for many LGBTQ parents — by echoing language similar to Pope Francis in labeling the practice “despicable.” Its authors call for a global ban on commercial surrogacy, a move that would disproportionately affect queer families who rely on such arrangements to have children.

“Biological Fact” and Gender Identity

A central theme of the report is a strictly biological definition of parenthood and gender. It affirms that “mothers are female parents and fathers are male parents,” and rejects concepts of gender identity that diverge from biological sex.

This stance mirrors parts of Project 2025, the Heritage-backed conservative blueprint for federal policy that calls for removing federal protections based on gender identity and rolling back diversity, equity, and inclusion provisions — which many LGBTQ advocates argue would have harmful effects on queer and transgender people nationwide.

Broader Context: Project 2025’s Influence

The Saving America by Saving the Family report comes as part of a broader conservative policy trajectory tied to Project 2025, a 900+-page policy roadmap originally released by The Heritage Foundation and allied conservative actors. That blueprint was designed to guide federal policymaking under a conservative presidential administration, and included proposals to dismantle civil rights protections for LGBTQ and gender identity groups.

Analyses by civil liberties organizations have warned that Project 2025’s suite of policy recommendations — including redefining family, limiting gender identity recognition, and eliminating diversity protections — could roll back decades of progress for LGBTQ people if implemented at the federal level.

Critics Say Report’s “Solutions” Erase LGBTQ Families

ACA advocacy groups, LGBTQ legal organizations, and family policy researchers have sharply critiqued the report as ideologically driven rather than evidence based, arguing that children thrive in many types of family structures and that public policy should protect all families equally, regardless of parents’ gender or biology.

Researchers note that modern family formation includes a diversity of pathways — adoption, assisted reproductive technologies, and intentional co-parenting — all of which the report’s recommendations would disadvantage or disqualify from federal support.

What’s Next: Continued Focus on LGBTQ Policy Front

The Heritage Foundation’s long-term agenda beyond this report appears to continue prioritizing conservative definitions of family and gender, shaping debates over federal policy and social services heading into 2026 and beyond. Some local reporting suggests this extends Project 2025’s priorities into broader initiatives that continue to place LGBTQ families and gender identity at the center of political contention.

As conservative family policy frameworks evolve, JRL CHARTS LGBT Politics will continue to monitor how these proposals intersect with LGBTQ equality, civil rights, and the lived realities of queer families in America.