Lesbilicious - the web’s tastiest lesbian magazine

Lesbians in Victoria, Australia are one step closer to greater access to fertility treatment. The Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) bill would grant single and lesbian women access to reproductive treatment, including IVF, and give gay partners and parents of surrogate children greater parenting rights.

The Victorian lower house has endorsed the ART bill by 48 votes to 36. The house will now consider any amendments before a final vote is called and the bill progresses to the upper house.

The bill will also remove the infertility requirement placed on a surrogate mother seeking treatment on behalf of a commissioning parent.

More than 50 amendments were lodged against the bill in a bid to water down the legislation, but none succeeded.

Rainbow Families Council spokeswoman Felicity Marlowe, who has a two-month-old daughter Maude and lives in a same-sex relationship.

“What we’ve seen is a really sensible debate, unfortunately of course there are some people who have very diverse views about what a real family is or what constitutes good parenting but overall we’ve seen a really positive outcome,” said Rainbow Families Council spokeswoman Felicity Marlowe.

Marlowe, who is in a same-sex relationship and has a 2-month-old daughter, added: “For families like mine that are same sex parented families it would mean better legal certainty for our children about who our parents are, better legal obligations for their non-birth parents and more rights bestowed upon them.

“What we’d be really wanting to see is that people understand that the spirit of this bill is that the rights and best interests of children are upheld and we believe that voting in favour of it in the upper house will ensure that our children are not second class citizens.”

Related stories: Children born to lesbian mums in New South Wales, Australia, now have the same rights as those born to heterosexual parents

Posted in: Campaigns & Politics, Community, Health |