LGBTQ+ wealth creation: As a queer person, there is the ‘hidden tax’ I have to pay

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As a queer Australian, this is the ‘hidden tax’ I have to pay

“I have some news,” my best friend announced, midway through our usual catch-up call. “I’m pregnant. We weren’t trying, but I must’ve ovulated early.”

Two months later, I received the same call from another close friend. Both were spontaneous pregnancies with their second child at 36. I’d become accustomed to these announcements, yet each had its own special sting.

“It just happened” isn’t in my queer vocabulary.

It’s important to drop all timelines and comparisons because the markers of success in adulthood – house, marriage, kids – don’t come as easy for queer folks. While LGBTQ+ visibility, social acceptance and reproductive technology are better than ever, there’s