In an interview with TV Channel France 2 on Wednesday October 21, Minister of Justice, Christiane Taubira, declared that she is favorable to open the discussions in France about artificial reproduction for women living as couples. She was interrogated about her statements diffused the evening before on TV Channel Canal+ “1995 – 2015: 20 years of Gay Revolution!” And she judges that it is “legitimate” for women couples to claim a right to medically assisted reproduction and she calls for the politicians to have “the courage to fight this battle.”
She confirmed by declaring: “I repeat, I think that this demand is legitimate. The socialist group has already tried to introduce the debate. Personally, I think that it is legitimate; as a consequence the debate should be held.”
Recall that precisely one year ago, when the Government stated its position, Manuel Valls declared about medically assisted reproduction for lesbian couples: “ The position of the government on this subject is clear: we will go no further on this question as long as we have not received the the National Ethical Consultative Committee point of view.”
Mrs. Taubira’s declaration appears just after the publication of a decree aiming to increase the number of gamete donations in France, and on the same day that the State Council held an audience on the possible partial removal of the anonymity of the donor, as requested by a young woman born from a sperm donation.
Alliance VITA emphasizes that France is opposed to medically assisted reproduction for women, alone or in same sex couples, in order to respect the rights of the child, and to not deliberately deprive a child of his father, a position that is reinforced by the state council’s advice in 2009. That means to misuse the techniques reserved for cases of medical infertility, which is widely excessive and a source of injustice for children.
Tugdual Derville, Alliance VITA’s General Delegate, recalls: “we do not approve the approach in this debate which makes having a child a right, while denying his right to have a father. We appreciate those who protect the interest of the child, notably the homosexuals who publically protest the practices of medically assisted reproduction or gestational surrogacy by two persons of the same sex. To deliberately deprive a child of his father is an original form of maltreatment. Like during the preceding offensives on this subject, we are strongly involved and we remain constantly vigilant.”
