Egg meets Sperm meets Uterus - Matchmaking Meetup

Alt Parenting is hosting our annual Egg meets Sperm meets Uterus matchmaking meetup event!

Once you’ve challenged the nuclear family relationship escalator, finding, creating, and establishing a family can be incredibly difficult. If you are or have the intention of becoming an alternative parent, there can be many struggles that you face and we want to help you overcome them. We are holding an event where people can meet and ideally find a match with others for fertility and co-parenting purposes. This event is for biological matchmaking, but it is also for logistical parenting matchmaking. Co-parenting, co-living, sharing childcare, it takes a village, etc. are all aspects that we are looking to match people on.

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This event will begin with a 30 minute workshop where we will help you create your “elevator pitch” for this event. We will provide you with a form that we will talk through that empowers you to have effective conversations with other attendees. We will share the form with you in Plura before the event so you can peruse it and think on your answers.

Then we will gather everyone in a circle and we will all share our elevator pitches so we can hear what everyone has to offer and what they’re looking for.

After this we will curate tables of four. This is a speed dating format where you’ll sit in a group with three other people and go more in depth about your thoughts and desires.

We will have a break where there will be provided bagels and coffee, feel free to bring anything you’d like to share as well.

The final section will be a free form conversation.

Overall Event Plan:

11-11:15am Arrival

11:20-11:50am Elevator pitch workshop

11:50-12:15pm Group circle sharing

12:15-12:45pm Tables of four icebreaker

12:45-1pm Break

1-2pm Freeform conversations

This event will have a special box. What is the box you ask? It is a place to put notes you want to share with people who attended this event. Rather than directly cruising or propositioning people, we are asking that attendees place notes expressing their interest or intent towards another attendee into this box. You can do this at any time during the event. (For example: you want to give your contact information to someone with or without an additional note). The organizers will go through the box after the event and you will receive any contact info or notes that others directed your way.

Notes:

1. We want to avoid this feeling too overly intense for you. These are intense subjects and you may get triggered or feel overwhelmed at any point during this event, but we want to try to mitigate that to the best of our ability. Please take care of yourself - you’re welcome to step out for air, exit a conversation, or leave the event at any time.
2. You can leave this event at any time. If you hear everyone’s elevator pitches and find that no one is offering what you’re looking for, you’re welcome to leave. If you really appreciate a structured meetup environment and don’t want to be a part of the freeform part, you’re welcome to go after the structured portion. If you’ve talked to everyone you want to connect with and you’re done, feel free to go. You can opt out at any time.
3. This event is not child friendly, if you have a child at home please arrange care for them so you can attend.

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This matchup event is for current or aspiring alternative parents.

That includes:

1. non-monogamous people (and allies!)
2. single parents
3. guardians of kiddos that aren't their bio kiddos (aunts, uncles, grandparents, friends, foster parents, parents who adopted, etc.)
4. people in a co-living situation or want to be
5. co-parents who are non-monogamous or platonic
6. anyone in a non-traditional family arrangement

This event is for the types of folks listed above who want to explore alternative parenting and build non-traditional families. Parents, former parents, caregivers, and prospective parents/co-parents are welcome. This event is not child friendly, if you have a child at home please arrange care for them so you can attend.

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We have created an Attendee (and Organizer) Code of Conduct. Please check it out here.

We have a new code of conduct, please go read it at the link above before attending our next event. While you are responsible for abiding by every part of the code of conduct, here are some items we would like to highlight:

1) Please ask people their pronouns and do not assume gender.

2) We will not tolerate open or subtle racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism and similar oppressive behavior at our events. If you have a bad experience related to oppression either due to other guests or due to us, please bring it to our attention and we will do our best to remediate the situation. If you are a person in a privileged group, please keep an eye on how you may be talking over others or dominating the event space.

3) This event is designed to be a respectful cruising zone, however we will note that our standard discussion and social events are a no-cruise zone. Please do not directly proposition people, whether for sex/dates or for fertility needs (egg/sperm/uterus) or for co-parenting arrangements, instead PLEASE USE OUR SPECIAL BOX (see above). Predatory behavior will not be tolerated. We do not want people to be objectified for their bodies. You will be asked to leave.

4) Relatedly, the hosts have pledged not to proposition attendees during or outside of events. We will still share our own elevator pitches, but we will not send anything to anyone in our box. If you are interested in one of us in any context, you will need to take the first step, use the box!

Please take a same-day COVID rapid test before coming. Carpool if you can.

RSVP so we can get a headcount. "Tickets" are free, but feel free to donate at our organizer's Venmo found on our Linktree (ticketing link below).

If you have questions, please ask your co-hosts in the Plura chat or email altparentingsfbay@gmail.com. See you there!