Surrogacy Resource thread : please post your links here

[FannyCann]

A Happy New Year to all.

I have been thinking about how I should concentrate my energies in the New Year - women are fighting many battles on so many fronts - against porn, prostitution, domestic abuse, the wonderful We Can’t Consent to this campaign, abortion rights, to maintain our spaces, our language, our sports and so much more that I haven’t mentioned.
For myself, I have been asked to join a particular campaign against surrogacy and I have decided that is where I will be devoting most of my time whilst still supporting all the other important causes in spirit at least.

The surrogacy market is a global business currently thought to be worth about $21billion with growth expected to reach about $41billion by 2026 according to India based market research firm Data Bridge. Women’s reproductive “services” are big business globally.

The Law Commission Consultation on new surrogacy law in the UK closed on 11 October 2019.
Many posters on FWR did great work researching, discussing and exploring the implications, educating and raising awareness, encouraging people to respond to the consultation so that responses weren’t simply confined to cheers of approval from “stakeholders” but real concerns and educated critique were raised.

Many of us may be wondering what happens next?

According to the Consultation paper what happens next is this: “After reviewing all responses, we will decide on our final recommendations for law reform, which we will publish in a report, accompanied by a draft bill (legislation) in 2021.”

The consultation, raising awareness and sharing the knowledge was very much the first battle. There is much to be done to follow up to prevent these harmful recommendations becoming law in the UK and to keep that global market out of the UK.

I am not able to give details but I wanted to let people know that there is work ongoing behind the scenes and small positive signs that the Law Commission are belatedly reaching out to some women’s groups who raised concerns.

Meanwhile I believe now is the time to prepare: we have a new parliament with many new MP’s who are no doubt completely unaware, now is the time to start lobbying MP’s and the government in advance if that draft legislation. I plan to hold my nose and meet with my MP, who is a staunch Catholic and who, for all his faults, I expect to take a dim view of the proposals. I will also be sending letters to key people in the government and department of health.

Since I first heard about the Consultation and proposed changes to the law just over a year ago, I have spent many hours reading, articles, legal cases, research papers, listening to podcasts, watching documentaries, reading and contributing to threads here, where so many other contributors share their knowledge and post informative links.

So I thought it might be helpful to have a resource thread, that we can refer to from time to time when looking for articles, research papers and other sources of information, links to FOIs, trying to find that thread where we saw interesting posts and so on.

I will kick off with some links to the consultation and related threads.

Please join in and add anything of interest you come across.

*The Consultation
*
Short summary

https://s3-eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/lawcom-prod-storage-11jsxou24uy7q/uploads/2019/06/Surrogacy-summary.pdf

The Full Consultation Document

https://s3-eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/lawcom-prod-storage-11jsxou24uy7q/uploads/2019/06/Surrogacy-consultation-paper.pdf

Obviously it is too late to respond now as the Consultation is closed, but for reference here is the recommended response to the summary from Nordic Model Now, which many of us used as a template or a guide to help us formulate our own responses.

https://nordicmodelnow.files.wordpress.com/2019/09/surrogacy-consultation-responses-pdf-2.pdff_

Several women’s organisations responded to the consultation with public letters:

Nordic Model Now Open letter:

https://nordicmodelnow.org/2019/10/11/open-letter-to-the-uk-and-scottish-law-commissioners-about-the-surrogacy-consultation/

WPUK submission to Law Commission consultation on surrogacy reform – Woman's Place UK

https://womansplaceuk.org/2019/10/08/wpuk-submission-to-law-commission-consultation-on-surrogacy-reform/

EVAW (End Violence Against Women) response:

https://www.endviolenceagainstwomen.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/FINAL-Letter-on-Surrogacy-.pdf

NIA response:

http://www.niaendingviolence.org.uk/perch/resources/surrogacy-consultation-response-october-2019.pdf

*Links to some of the related threads on FWR:
*
http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womensrights/3606313-The-Rumplestiltskin-Laww__
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http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womenss_rights/3613356-All-male-Law-Commission-discussing-surrogacy

http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womensrights/3651968-The-illegitimacy-of-the-Rumplestiltskin-Surrogacy-consultationn__

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http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womenss_rights/3706683-SURROGACY-CONSULTATION-ENDS-ON-FRIDAY-11-OCTOBER-PLEASE-SUBMIT-A-RESPONSE-Edited-by-MNHQ-at-OPs-request

http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womensrights/3649812-building-families-through-surrogacy-a-new-law-consultationn__

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http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womenss_rights/3698520-Did-everyone-know-that-MN-now-has-a-surrogacy-board

http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/amiibeingunreasonable/3169070-To-think-theres-a-valid-discussion-to-be-had-about-the-ethics-of-surrogacyy_

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http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womenss_rights/3708724-Famous-men-and-surrogacy

Oh dear. I can hardly bear to watch Sonic - another three episodes to go?
But you are right, they have addressed some of the issues really well. I was pleased the midwife insisted on seeing her alone and then phoned safeguarding.

And also his sister saying that it is exploitation and falling out with him over it (despite the financial hold he may have had over her too with the school fees).

It is really good, so far.

I’m enraged about New York. Feminists and the women they protect steamrolled yet again to benefit only the rich and powerful. Going to be hard to go back now.

Maddening too that in the article they are saying “we hope universal healthcare will make surrogacy available to all! It’s not a class issue!” Oh really? So who would be the “carriers” in a situation where the government is renting women’s bodies for any couple who wants one?

Sounds like Julie Bindel is writing a book about surrogacy, she mentions it here in the Venus Rising podcast which I found really interesting, in fact al the Venus Rising podcast are worth a listen.

www.cbc-network.org/2020/04/venus-rising-with-julie-bindel/

The listening links are embedded in the article.

Excellent podcast with Julie, I found it really interesting. I like downloading podcasts on my phone and then listening on my way into work.

Just posting the link to this thread about a court case from 2007 which reveals the extent of abuse of the system by foreign commissioning parents back then.

Family courts case from 2007 revealed the extent of non domiciled commissioning parents exploitin...
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3884540-family-courts-case-from-2007-revealed-the-extent-of-non-domiciled-commissioning-parents-exploiting-uk-surrogate-mothers-and-the-nhs

Excellent twitter thread with lots of links to important articles/cases in every tweet.

twitter.com/womenreadwomen/status/1251720504676777985?s=21

From about 13 minutes in Natalie Gamble explains surrogacy, promotes her own agency Brilliant Beginnings and says there is a "shortage" of UK surrogates and this is why many IPs go overseas to the US, Canada, the Ukraine and Georgia and how it's easy to make matches there and there is more infrastructure for surrogacy(!).

It's clear that she is supportive of the law around parental orders being changed to recognise the 'proper' parent during pregnancy and the bit about expenses was interesting, she says the term 'reasonable expenses' or paying beyond what is reasonable is always granted by a judge, so essentially she acknowledges that UK surrogacy isn't only altruistic and so as an expert in surrogacy law she doesn't admonish commercial nature of current, historical and recent surrogacy arrangements. (At this point she doesn't highlight that commercial surrogacy is ILLEGAL in the UK.)

She spoke about transgender parents and how a transwoman couldn't carry a baby (!) and how a transman might not want to because of their identity.

Oh. So a trans woman isn't, you know, an actual woman of the adult human female variety? They always know who to approach when there's breeding to be done don't they.

Thanks for that OhHolyJesus

More about New York. I'm in a sweaty mood so won't say more.

https://www.feministcurrent.com/2020/04/19/surrogacy-is-not-a-gay-rights-issue-its-a-womens-rights-issue/

*sweary

Has anyone else read the Dead Line by Holly Watt? I am reading it at the moment. It's fiction but also covering a lot of non fiction stuff about surrogacy.

I haven't heard of that Grapefruits will check it out. I'm reading The Unexpected Mother by Susan A Ring. I mostly throw it around the room in frustration at her self-imposed doormat status and incredibly foolish decisions, as well as the sheer outrage at what she was subjected to by the 'matchmaking' services, the Fertility Drs and the Commissioning Parents who 'cancelled their order' for twins at 8 months as they were separating.

Here's another story to raise our collective blood pressure. It's old but I've been looking at countries which allow commercial surrogacy and how there women are exploited. Case in point. Following the scandal around Baby Gammy's birth, Thailand shut it's doors (but it still goes on) and Australian Commissioning Parents headed to Cambodia where eventually it was banned in 2016 (but I'm sure it still goes on there too). I'm so glad this awful woman went to jail.

www.smh.com.au/world/cambodia-surrogacy-australian-nurse-tammydavis-charles-sent-back-to-jail-20170518-gw7plm.html

From the DM article

"As a result of the ban on commercial surrogacy in Cambodia and Thailand, many couples are now turning to communist Laos for In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) and surrogacy services.
Despite banning commercial surrogacy, neighbouring Thailand remains a key centre for surrogate births, thanks to sophisticated medical care."

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4755942/Australian-nurse-jailed-Cambodia-running-illegal-surrogacy-clinic.html

Following the bill passing in NYC to allow commercial surrogacy...

www.nytimes.com/2020/04/18/parenting/pregnancy/surrogacy-laws-new-york.html

I thought it might be useful to look back to the case of Baby M. Back in 1986 in NYC, Mary Beth Whitehead used her egg and IVF with donor eggs started in 1988 so this short film also covers Anna Johnston being a termed a 'host' in her 1990 ruling. I think it's really fascinating.

www.nytimes.com/2014/03/24/us/baby-m-and-the-question-of-surrogate-motherhood.html

I had no idea about this one. Baby Donna in Belgium was sold on the internet in 2005. The surrogate thought that the baby wouldn't be happy with the commissioning parents but she didn't want to raise her either. She plaved an advert on the internet and couples fought over her, presumably going to the highest bidder (about £10k).

How horrific, I wonder if the baby girl, who was since adopted, has been told about the circumstances of her birth and the first few weeks of her life?

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4578497.stm

It featured in this

Bloody hell @OhHolyJesus I hadn't heard of that case. How awful.
Like those poor twins bought by the appalling Kilshaws.

www.theguardian.com/society/2015/jan/20/internet-twins-adoption-kilshaw-2001

I hadn't heard about the Kilshaws! Literally buying babies, what awful people. The flippancy in the last sentence. I wonder what happened to those poor twins.

All these tragic stories which end with babies who grow up and someday have to deal with the circumstances of their birth/s and missing mothers.

Yes it'd be interesting to know how those twins are today. I've a feeling I did see an article a while ago but can't remember the details.

Just posting an interesting article from the economist. The two British surrogate mothers mentioned both had twins - what the hell is it with getting two for the price of one and impregnating all these women with twins? Don't people realise a twin pregnancy is more difficult and complicated than a singleton. Apart from all the other issues and concerns I have the twin thing gives me such a rage!

Help wanted - As demand for surrogacy soars, more countries are trying to ban it | International | The Economist

www.economist.com/international/2017/05/13/as-demand-for-surrogacy-soars-more-countries-are-trying-to-ban-it

Interesting how we keep being told it is necessary to change the law relating to legal parentage because mean surrogate mothers might change their minds and keep the baby, then Surrogacy UK say they have had no such cases.

But commissioning parents drop out when their relationship breaks down and the baby ends up being adopted. I wonder if the SM gets their money? Imagine carrying a baby for another couple and ending up with the baby being adopted and you didn't even get the agreed payment.

"Fertility rights
In fact, recent studies show that it is extremely rare for a surrogate to change her mind and seek to keep the baby. Surrogacy UK, a British charity, says that there have been no such cases among the nearly 180 births it has helped to arrange since its founding in 2002. “You never think the baby is yours,” says Michelle Green, a British mother of two and a surrogate of twins born in 2015. She is now on to a second surrogacy, and says she is proud to have given children to someone who would otherwise have been unable to be a parent.
On the rare occasions when problems do arise, it is almost always in the opposite direction: commissioning parents who decide they no longer want the baby. In Canada, which has regulated surrogacy since 2004, five such cases are known to have occurred, says Sally Rhoads-Heinrich, who runs Surrogacy in Canada Online, a referral and consultation service. The main reason for pulling out was divorce. But in no case did the surrogate keep the child: they were all given up for adoption."

Also adding link to another thread so it's easier to find.

Family courts case from 2007 revealed the extent of non domiciled commissioning parents exploitin... www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3884540-family-courts-case-from-2007-revealed-the-extent-of-non-domiciled-commissioning-parents-exploiting-uk-surrogate-mothers-and-the-nhs

I checked for Surrogacy UK on the charity commissions website and they aren't registered.

They are on companies house and seem to spend what they make. They had a looooong list of people registered though.

Adding this rage inducing article from the other thread.

www.wired.co.uk/article/coronavirus-lockdown-surrogacy-industry

Plus link to the other thread...

Surrogacy on the NHS www.mumsnet.com/Talk/womens_rights/3899297-Surrogacy-on-the-NHS

Those poor women in Ukraine. Factory farmed for the global baby business.

www.rt.com/news/486930-ukraine-china-baby-trafficking/

And this one which really lays bare the global nature of the trade in babies.

Help wanted - As demand for surrogacy soars, more countries are trying to ban it | International | The Economist

www.economist.com/international/2017/05/13/as-demand-for-surrogacy-soars-more-countries-are-trying-to-ban-it

Whoops. Already posted that.