Alana Wise | NPR | June 19, 2022
NPR covers the stories of three single, gay men who became fathers through surrogacy and their journey there
Gay Couple Files Complaint Against New York City Over Denying IVF Coverage
Jo Yurcaba | NBC News | April 15, 2022
A gay couple filed a charge against New York City because the city’s insurance policy for IVF is discriminatory. The policy requires a diagnosis of infertility, which is defined as “inability to conceive after 12 months of unprotected intercourse,” which excludes gay couples.
In Breakthrough, Israel Temporary Eases Gay Surrogacy Policy
Adir Yanko | Ynet News | April 11, 2022
Israel’s Health Ministry announced that single gay males or gay couples who have frozen embryos abroad, or are planning to freeze them until the end of April, can bring them to Israel for insemination via a surrogate.
First Baby Born via Surrogacy to Same-sex Couple in Northern Ireland
Blair Sowry | BioNews | February 21, 2022
For the first time, a baby has been born via surrogacy to a gay couple in North Ireland. The couple is now trying to register their child’s name under both of their names, which would set another precedent for LGBTQ couples in the country.
Same-sex Couples Push for Adoption Rights in Taiwan After Landmark Case Offers Hope
Clio Yang | ABC News | February 21, 2022
Mr. Tsou and his husband are looking for international surrogacy arrangements because adoption by gay married couples is not legal in Taiwan. However, a couple of exceptions have been granted in the best interest of the child, and more inclusive ART legislation is being reviewed by the government.
Denmark Threatens to Deport Surrogate-Born Children
Ellen Trachman | Above the Law | February 9, 2022
A gay couple welcomed a surrogate-born child in California, but were unable to register the child under both of their names back in Denmark, as parenthood cannot be shared there between two men. Though Denmark was the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage, they now need to extend surrogacy regulations to include same-sex male parents as well.
Children by Surrogacy to be Allowed for Same-Sex Couples, Single Men from Next Week
Stuart Winer and TOI Staff | Times of Israel | January 4, 2022
Same-sex couples, single men, and transgender people can now become parents through surrogacy, an option previously denied to them in Israel. This ruling ends a decade-long legal battle that started with a petition filed by a gay couple in 2010. Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz also reassured prospective surrogates that the government is committed to protecting their rights and health.
Switzerland’s Marriage Equality Law Widens to Allow Access to IVF
James Moore | BioNews | November 22, 2021
Starting in July 2022, same-sex couples in Switzerland will be able to marry and access the same assisted reproduction, adoption, and fertility services as heterosexual couples. Surrogacy and egg donation remain illegal, so families desiring these services would only have access by traveling abroad.
The Fight for Paid Parental Leave is a Fight for Queer Rights
David Dodge | Newsweek | November 22, 2021
The United States lacks a paid parental leave policy, which disproportionately affects queer men, because companies offering maternity leave policies often exclude or provide lesser benefits to the non-birthing partner. Laws must be updated to include all family structures and break the heteronormative expectation that the responsibility of childcare fall solely on women. While Congress debates legislation for national paid parental leave policies, independent businesses like Ikea and Target implemented their own all-inclusive paid leave policies.
‘Shared Motherhood’ Couple Can Both be Named on Irish Birth Certificate
Michaela Chen | BioNews | October 25, 2021
Irish couple Ranae von Meding and her wife, Audrey Rooney, won the right to be legally recognized as a two-mother family. The couple’s two daughters were conceived in Spain through reciprocal IVF, in which Rooney’s egg was fertilized in vitro and implanted into von Meding’s uterus. Only von Meding was recognized as the legal parent, though the two were married when Rooney gave birth to both daughters. Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 only recognizes same-sex couples who conceive and birth in Ireland, but von Meding and Rooney conceived in Spain because no Irish clinics offered reciprocal IVF at the time. Irish legislation is still lacking legal parenthood provisions on surrogacy, home insemination, and births abroad.