Sunday, January 28, 2007

Forbidding anonymous gamete donation is a good idea

A bill presented in the Virginia House of Assembley would forbid anonymous donations of sperm and eggs.

I strongly support this kind of law.

People have a right to know their parents, and their genetic identity.

When you create a child, you have to consider the interests of the child first, not those of the parents. That's because children are more vulnerable, and have no power of decision.

I also think that people have to be able to live up to their actions. As Dr. Phil says: if you're big enough to do it, be big enough to own it. Anonymity seems to be a way to evade one's past and the consequences of one's actions.

The anonymous donors simply don't want to deal with the consequences of their action-- that is, they don't want to deal with the child.

I think this separation of procreation from sex dehumanizes people and destroys natural kinship ties. The spirit may be more important than the body, but that doesn't mean our biology has zero effect on who we are and our conception of our selves or how we live our lives.

I strongly hope this bill passes. I think Canada should also pass such as law.