Ep. 52 | Putting Children First with Katy Faust: The Natural Rights Framework That Changes Everything

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Ep. 52 | Putting Children First with Katy Faust: The Natural Rights Framework That Changes Everything

From Obergefell to IVF, how redefining marriage redefined parenthood at children's expense

Meseidy

Rachel Reeves

, and

Katy Faust

Jul 01, 2025

∙ Paid

Reminder: This will be our only episode this week. Enjoy the July 4th holiday! Light them if you got them…fireworks, to be clear.

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This week we're joined by the absolute powerhouse

Katy Faust

, founder of Them Before Us, who's here to blow up everything you think you know about modern family structures. From her own upbringing with lesbian parents to becoming one of the fiercest defenders of children's rights in America, Katy breaks down why your feelings don't trump a child's fundamental need for their mother and father.

We're diving deep into the messy realities of surrogacy, IVF, and how the Obergefell decision didn't just redefine marriage—it redefined parenthood at kids' expense. Plus, we're talking about those Supreme Court wins this week that actually put children's rights over adult desires (imagine that!).

Fair warning: This conversation will challenge you, might make you uncomfortable, and will definitely equip you to defend the most vulnerable among us. Because as Katy says, "Screw your social acceptance. Start defending kids."

Episode Highlights

From Pastor's Wife to Children's Rights Warrior - How Katy went from apolitical stay-at-home mom to fierce advocate after getting "really, really, really angry" about the normalization of motherless and fatherless homes.
The Three Rules Rights Test - Katy breaks down her framework for determining what constitutes a genuine natural right: exists pre-government, nobody has to provide it, and everyone has equal measure.
Why Surrogacy is Always Wrong - Even in the "best case scenario" with genetic parents and no money exchanged, Katy explains why surrogacy forces children to sacrifice their fundamental bond with their birth mother.
The Obergefell Prophecy Fulfilled - How Katy's 2015 amicus brief predicting the redefinition of parenthood has played out exactly as warned, with children losing rights to their biological parents.
Healing Broken Families - Practical advice for parents in non-traditional family structures on how to acknowledge harm, enter into their children's grief, and stop defensive deflection.

Connect With Katy Faust

Read Katy’s books on parenting:

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