Progress Educational Trust | May 19, 2025
Italy’s recently enacted ban of surrogacy arrangements, even in countries where surrogacy is legal, has faced criticism from many LGBTQ+ parents and advocates in Italy. They object to the blanket nature of the ban, which affects all surrogacy arrangements, and they raise concerns about the ban stigmatizing LGBTQ+ families.
Associated Press | April 1, 2025
As part of a reform to the civil code, Greece is changing how it defines medical infertility. The change excludes single men and male same-sex couples from having children via surrogacy in Greece.
The Politic | March 31, 2025
Italy’s recent law making surrogacy a “universal crime” in the country may face judicial challenges and scrutiny from the European Union. The law and the response to it raise questions, both about reproductive freedom and about exploitation and vulnerabilities in current surrogacy practices.
The Guardian | March 17, 2025
The Italian parents of a child who was recently born in the US via surrogacy are concerned that if they return to Italy, they will be prosecuted under Italy’s new law, which extended criminalization of surrogacy in Italian law beyond Italy to other countries, including those where the practice is legal.
The Conversation | March 5, 2025
Trump’s (blocked) order to end US birthright citizenship would jeopardize legal recognition of LGBTQ+ parents and leave some children born through assisted reproduction stateless.
Bloomberg News | December 5, 2024
Compensated surrogacy is banned in Hong Kong, but many people are traveling abroad seeking surrogacy arrangements and gamete donation––in part because IVF access in Hong Kong excludes single people and the LGBTQ community.
Taipei Times | December 4, 2024
Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare will not include surrogacy in proposed amendments to the Assisted Reproduction Act due to opposition from women’s rights groups. This will allow legislative changes with broad support–making artificial insemination accessible to single women and women with same-sex partners–to move forward.
These four articles explain the motivations behind and the potential implications of Italy’s ban on surrogacy. Although the law prohibits both heterosexual and LGTBQ couples from seeking surrogacy services abroad, it in effect targets same-sex couples as part of a broader effort of the Italian Prime Minister’s conservative party to limit LGBTQ parentage rights.
Italy criminalizes surrogacy abroad in move slammed as ‘medieval’ by critics
CNN | October 19, 2024
‘Inhumane and wicked’: anguish over Italy’s expanded surrogacy ban
The Guardian | October 25, 2024
Italy makes it illegal to seek surrogacy abroad
Reuters | October 16, 2024
Italy Criminalizes Surrogacy From Abroad, a Blow to Gay and Infertile Couples
The New York Times | October 16, 2024
The New York Times | October 16, 2024
Italy’s Parliament passed a law banning couples from traveling abroad to have a child through surrogacy, even to countries where surrogacy is legal. The law is part of a broader ongoing crackdown by Italy’s far-right government to limit legal parentage rights of LGTBQ people.
Reuters | October 16, 2024
The upper house Senate of Italy’s Parliament voted in favor of a bill that will make it illegal for couples to travel abroad to have a baby through surrogacy arrangements. The law is part of a broader effort of the Italian Prime Minister’s “Brothers of Italy” party to prevent LGBTQ people in Italy from being recognized as legal parents.
