Arriving Home At Melbourne Airport
This blog was originally started for three reasons:
1. To be a ‘dummies guide’ for other people who also want to go through this process, and just don’t know where to start.
2. To share our story with whoever is interested so that they may help positively influence other peoples attitudes towards our ‘unique’ family, so that one day, we may not be so unique.
3. In the hope that one day Ralph and I will look over it with our kids and be proud of the journey that we have taken.
In July 2011 the journey ended with the newborns arriving, and although I intended on wrapping the blog up, things have continued just a little. It’s now kept as a reference and hopefully an inspiration for others following down the same path we did, as well as a platform for me to talk a little about parenting topics I think are important.
I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.
Dear Ralph and Adrian, My name is David Constable and I’m a journalism student from UNSW.
My group and I are writing a feature article on the new commercial surrogacy laws in NSW and are hoping to acquire a personal response from someone who has been fortunate enough to have a child through surrogacy.
If you are unfamiliar with this law, on 11 November 2010, the NSW Parliament passed legislation banning NSW residents from engaging in commercial surrogacy arrangements overseas.
The effect of this legislation is that consenting residents of NSW cannot travel to another country and participate in legal activities with other consenting adults. To do so carries a $110,000 fine and potentially a two year jail sentence.
The argument for the ban is based on the “best interests of the children born through commercial surrogacy”, while no reputable evidence that it is not in the child’s best interests or the children are disadvantaged in anyway has been presented.
Additionally, it is argued that women are exploited in commercial surrogacy arrangement
If you would be willing to take a few minutes from your time, it would be highly appreciated if you could provide a response to these questions (as small or big as you would like).
1. What are your opinions on this new law? Eg, Do you believe the NSW Government introduced this law to stop gay couples from having kids? Is the law a violation of human rights?
2. Hypothetically, if you lived in NSW and this law was stopping you from having a child via international surrogacy, how would you respond? Look for alternate options eg adoption?, protest? Move overseas permanently?
3. Are you worried your children will question their identity? How will you approach this if it comes up?
Feel free to add any additional comments.
Regards
David Constable
By: David on May 29, 2011
at 5:17 pm
What a fantastic story, nobody should be deprived of the joys of fatherhood. The sooner this becomes less un-unique the better. How addictive is blogging?
By: daddownunder on March 11, 2012
at 10:27 pm