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Original poster

women & surrogacy arrangements

32 replies

TearingDownTheWall · 19/08/2016 11:13

I read this legal blog recently and was shocked by this case. It is a horrifying account of male entitlement and treating women like a baby vessel by a same sex couple.
Essentially 2 affluent, intelligent men set up surrogacy arrangements with 2 women, treating them like chattel and showing absolutely no regard for them other than as a means to deliver them a child. Throughout the court hearings they continued to show zero regard or understanding of how unacceptable their behaviour was. It's utterly depressing.

Suspicious minds and the baiili transcript baiili

OP posts:
OddBoots · 19/08/2016 13:55

That account is heartbreaking. I have been a gestational surrogate three times (once for one couple and twice for another) and the treatment I experienced bears no resemblance at all to what is described there.

Gini99 · 19/08/2016 13:42

I don't think it's the fact that they're gay that is the issue, it's that it highlights the utter inadequacy of our surrogacy laws. The existing law was written on the hoof more than 25 years ago before we had an international fertility industry and before we had widespread public internet use. The law supposedly only allows altruistic/non-compensated surrogacy but the above developments have made that a complete sham. Whatever you think about compensated surrogacy, there is no way that we should have this essentially unregulated system in which women can be exploited like this. The arguments for surrogacy tend to be based around women having the freedom to do as they wish with their own bodies but that freedom is illusory if there is nothing to ensure that they have the information and understanding to give consent and the safeguards put in place to make sure that they get adequate protection for the risks that come with any pregnancy. The two women in this case were both clearly very vulnerable and were taken advantage of by people who treated them as service provers.

SpidersFromMars · 19/08/2016 13:40

I do think there should be an impartial assessment though - I think leaving it to recipients to assess competency is bound to cause issues.

Original poster
TearingDownTheWall · 19/08/2016 13:30

They put a maximum compensation value on a medical issue resulting in a hysterectomy of 1k. I wonder how much they would value one of their testicles if list through negligence. Bet it would be significantly more.

OP posts:
LassWiTheDelicateAir · 19/08/2016 13:26

The only shred of comfort in the whole sorry story is X seems to have a partner and family who support her.

This and similar stories I'm afraid make me no longer unquestionably go "ah, isn't it lovely male gay couples can have babies"

Germane Greer's comments about Elton John and David Furnish were very badly framed and I'll considered by being an attack on the children and therefore diverting attention from the real issue.

Original poster
TearingDownTheWall · 19/08/2016 13:19

I think it was the utter thoughtlessness to the women that took my breath away. To stand up in court and feel this was all ok, that you are the good guys and these women are being clingy and "hormonal" after giving birth to your child...it blows me away!

OP posts:
VestalVirgin · 19/08/2016 12:40

Oh, I thought it was about a heterosexual couple. Men using women as chattel isn't really new, is it? It doesn't surprise me in the least that they treat women just as shitty when it comes to surrogacy. I suppose the interesting twist is that it's gay men.

Glad the court made a reasonable decision. Though I really don't see why the assholes should be allowed to see the kid, the law and the fact that one of them is the biological father probably left no other choice.