Italy surrogacy ban: Couples banned from travelling abroad to seek surrogate
www.bbc.com
The move is seen by critics to target LGBT couples, who are not allowed to adopt or use IVF in the country.

The move extends a ban on the practice inside the country to also include those who seek it out in places where it is legal, like the US or Canada. Those who break the law could face up to two years in prison and fines of up to €1m (£835,710).

The law, proposed by the Italy’s far-right governing party, is seen by critics to target LGBT couples - who are not allowed to adopt or use IVF in the country.

Surrogacy is when a woman carries a pregnancy for another couple or individual, usually due to fertility issues or because they are men in a same-sex relationship.

The law passed by 84 votes to 58 in Italy’s senate on Wednesday.

  • Wild_Mastic@lemmy.worldEnglish
    544·
    2 months ago

    I cannot understand why governments should care who someone chose as a partner or why they fucking care about personal choices made by couples.

    And I understand even less the people who vote for those morons.

    • barsoap@lemm.eeEnglish
      161·
      2 months ago

      Surrogacy is not a personal choice by a couple but a contract with a third person affecting the legal status of a fourth person.

      Plenty of states where surrogacy is illegal for everyone, plenty of states where the LGBT angle doesn’t even begin to be an argument because they can adopt, use IFV, etc.

      • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        2 months ago

        The contract is a damned sight more simple than almost any other business contract in those same states. Hell, man, it’s more simple than a freaking ToS from your phone’s app store.

    • MiaEnglish
      116·
      2 months ago

      Commercial surrogacy is similar to prostitution… in theory a fair contract but in practice exploitation of poor women.

      • SalehEnglish
        171·
        2 months ago

        I am sure that this is not the reason why the Meloni government would ban it.

        • MiaEnglish
          6·
          2 months ago

          Surely. This wasn’t even their first attack on LGBT parents.

      • Vincent@feddit.nlEnglish
        7·
        2 months ago

        In the Netherlands you’re just not allowed to get paid for it, that seems like it would solve that part.

            • Summzashi@lemmy.oneEnglish
              11·
              2 months ago

              Uh yes it will. You can’t really make a baby appear out of thin air you know. You’re gonna get caught either way.

              • Vincent@feddit.nlEnglish
                1·
                2 months ago

                Not out of thin air, but you don’t technically need much more than two people. There’s a lot of help you can get that’s useful, but you can get that abroad.

      • barsoap@lemm.eeEnglish
        33·
        2 months ago

        Not really. With prostitution you agree to provide a service, right here and now, in the present. With surrogacy you agree to provide a service over months, a service which will either a) cause you to have a tight bond with a child, then be legally obliged to give it up even though you might want to keep it, or b) fuck you up psychologically trying to not establish that bond.

        That is: People are capable of having meaningless sex. People aren’t capable of bearing children without that being personally meaningful on a very fundamental level. Commodifying the first is meh, the latter, welcome to late stage capitalism where absolutely fucking everything is for sale.

        • MiaEnglish
          2·
          2 months ago

          Except that’s not what I was talking about. I never said the activity was similar. I said it’s similar in the way that both surrogacy and prostitution is an exploitation of poor women.

          And btw even prostitutes can change their mind and revoke consent to a previously agreed upon activity.

          • barsoap@lemm.eeEnglish
            22·
            2 months ago

            If we’re talking solely exploitation of poor women then we have to add sewing in sweatshops to that list. The thing that make prostitution and surrogacy special is the degree of intimacy involved and, at least depending on person, prostitution is closer to sweatshops in that regard than to surrogacy. Not to mention that there’s also a kid involved who didn’t consent to anything at all. Adoption can be traumatic, with surrogacy that’s done with premeditation.

            And yes, at least according to German law contracts about sexual services aren’t enforceable from the client side, you’re not entitled to more than your money back. In countries without legal framework the situation is generally way more nasty. And just for completeness’ sake: It’s on the list of jobs the welfare office can’t make you take up.