Please write to your local member about this...

[catemer]

we went to fertility first and while speaking to the counsellor she told us that since 2010 when the legislation changed a donor can only help 5 women.

The old legislation was for 10 families.

Now our plan was for my DP to have our first, and then using the same sperm I would have our second and maybe third. This way our little people would genetically be related even though they have different birth mothers.

But since the change in legislation we would count as 2 women.

So the legislation changes means that same sex couples who started this process after 2010 will count as 2 women, not just one family.

I can understand them wanting to limit and reduce the number of families helped, but this change doesn't effect hetro couples, or single woman using donor sperm. The only people this effects is lesbian couples.

Personally I think this sux big time!

So what I'm asking is for everyone to write to their local state parliament member expressing how much this is crap and asking for them to change the legislation to state 5 families not 5 women.

Since it is state legislation it really only effects NSW women, but if as many people could send their local member an email it would be great and maybe we can get this legislation amended so that it doesn't discriminate against us.

Thanks in advance

[bebehvala]

Perhaps you can write the letter for all of us to copy and paste into an email. That way we are all saying/asking for the same thing and it's easy for everyone.

I know I am happy to do it - equality it very important :)!!!

[catemer]

Perhaps you can write the letter for all of us to copy and paste into an email. That way we are all saying/asking for the same thing and it's easy for everyone.

I know I am happy to do it - equality it very important :)!!!

This is what I wrote, although I had a paragraph at the beginning about my partner and I attending our clinic. But I think this says what needs to be said.

Feel free to copy and paste, or use it as a launching pad if you want to reword etc.
Thanks in advance....


Hi,

I'm writing to you to ask for your help in making the Assisted Reproductive Technology Act 2007, which commenced on 1 January, 2010, less discriminatory.

Prior to 1 January 2010, the Act limited the use of donor sperm to 10 families. After 1 January 2010, the Act limits the use of donor sperm to 5 women.

This means that for lesbian couples who want to both birth a child, they are counted as 2 women under the new amendments, instead of 1 family under the old legislation.

This word change only effects lesbian couples. Heterosexual couples who use donor sperm only count as 1 woman, and single women who access donor sperm again only count as one woman. However, a lesbian couple who wanted to use the same donor for all children, despite both women birthing a child, are counted as 2 women. This means that the likelihood of the same donor being available for the 2nd woman in the relationship is very minimal. In fact due to the shortage of donors, it actually makes it next to impossible.

Even if a successful pregnancy occurs for the first partner, and sperm is set aside for siblings, it cannot be used by the second partner, as the donor will have most likely reached their 'woman' limit.

I would like you to lobby for the legislation to be changed to limit the use of a donor's sperm to 5 FAMILIES, instead of 5 women.

This is a very important change to the legislation that will help families of all different compositions.

Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you in relation to this issue.

[bebehvala]

I've sent along, hope this issue gets changed as it seems very unfair.


Short and sweet because I sent this from my iPhone.

[Fingerscrossd11]

does this include if you use donors from overseas?

[catemer]

Yep it does. Since it is being used in nsw it's the nsw rules that apply, regardless of where the 'boy juice' comes from. Crappola huh?

[pisces00]

this is crazy!! as an egg donor i can donate to 10 different women successfully so why should it be different for sperm donors? You have my support 100% as my hubby donates to lesbian couples and so far he has 4 gorgeous boys.

[catemer]

Thanks picies00. yeah crazy huh? It just doesn't seem fair that the government seems to have such great power in deciding how we can have a family. And here I was thinking it was our decision!

[catemer]

Hi all,

After receiving no response from my local member I decided to write to whoever I could find an email address for.

I got the below response from the greens:
"Thanks for your email. You've raised a very interesting nuance that I wasn't previously aware of. I've forwarded your correspondence on to the office of Cate Faehrmann MLC, the Greens NSW spokesperson on sexuality and gender identity.

Kind regards,

Lauren"

If you want toilet Cate know it's not just me concerned about this issue please email her at:
Cate.Faehrmann@parliament.nsw.gov.au

Thanks to everyone who has already emailed, and thanks to anyone else who wants to hitch their ride to this little wagon

[catemer]

Double post. Sorry. Silly bub hub!