Equality for lesbian mums
May 22nd, 2008
Hurray! MPs have scrapped plans to force fertility clinics to consider ‘the need for a father’ when treating lesbians and single women seeking fertility treatment.
The new legislation means that clinics will now be required to recognise the need for “supportive parenting”. This change was made by 292 to 217 votes.
In another free vote, MPs defeated a second attempt by the Conservatives to restrict IVF treatment for lesbian mums. This second amendment to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill would have required IVF clinics to consider the need for “supportive parenting and a father or male role model”. That proposal was voted down by 290 to 222 votes.
Last week there were doubts that the Bill would change in favour of lesbians and single mums seeking treatment. Fears remain that should the Conservatives gain power in the next general election they may seek to reverse the changes.
Real people’s stories
The Guardian has some excellent interviews with the kinds of people who are, or would have been, directly affected by the Bill. Below are a few quotes from their interviews:
Briony Hanson, who has one-year-old twins with her partner Tricia Tuttle, comments: “Do I worry about them not having a male role model? I can honestly say I’ve never been less worried about anything in my life. We’re making a conscious decision to surround ourselves with as many different role models as possible”
Helen Churchill had her child Leah 22 years ago, at the age of 25. “There are men in our family, such as grandfathers and uncles, who Leah is close to,” she says. “But I didn’t feel I needed to orchestrate those relationships - I knew they would either develop or they wouldn’t.”
Alison Garthwaite’s daughter Sara is now 29. “Sara had no father in her life, but nor did she need or miss one,” says Alison. “A gay male friend, Timmy, lived nearby and he used to babysit for her. Sara become close to him. He was a good role model - non-violent and non-macho, and he did not teach Sara the traditional male and female roles, as men tend to.”
And finally, Jess McCabe makes an excellent point herself, writing about the topic on the feminist blog The F Word:
“As one of the many, many people raised primarily by women (my mum and then my aunt), I would just say that the argument that fathers are essential to producing functional adults is a blinkered one. It’s not the job of the state or the NHS to dictate what works and what doesn’t as a family configeration - the important thing is surely the presence of loving parental figure(s) and/or guardians, not their gender.”
The abortion law
More good news for womens’ rights - the abortion law is to remain the same.
Currently a woman in the UK can have an abortion up to 24 weeks after becoming pregnant. This is to remain the same, despite pressures to change the time limit to anywhere from 22 to 12 weeks.
Health Minister Dawn Primarolo said that changing the law would force the small number of women seeking late abortions to go elsewhere. “Wouldn’t it be appalling if we drove women back to where they were before the 1967 (Abortion) Act?”
Only 1.5% of abortions actually occur after 20 weeks.
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