Introduction

Lesbian women and gay men become parents via a number of routes depending on national regulatory legislation, access to health care and the implementation of social policies affecting parenting. Obtaining gametes or embryos from a third party is not always an issue. Both men and women can have conceived children within heterosexual relationships; can adopt where it is legal; and can become the same-sex partner of someone who has a child conceived within a heterosexual relationship, and are therefore considered a co-parent or step-parent. Reproductive donation is involved when lesbians become mothers using sperm, eggs or embryos (the latter two usually only if the woman is infertile) from a donor who is anonymous, known or open-identity. Recent legislative changes in the UK now allow both women of a couple to be named on their child’s birth certificate. Lesbians and gay men can donate eggs and sperm, respectively, to lesbian or straight women and conceive a child with the intention of having or not having a parenting role. For a gay man to become a parent using reproductive donation he needs both a surrogate and a source of eggs (or possibly embryos), which may or may not be donated by the surrogate.

In this chapter we discuss some of the ethical debates surrounding same-sex parenting, which we define as gay or lesbian couples becoming joint parents using gametes or embryos from a third party. We are not considering issues for those of other sexual orientations. Our discussion is confined to the context of countries where same-sex relations are legal and where lesbian women and gay men have at least some access to parenthood through donation. The legal and social implications for same-sex parenting outside of this context, as well as lesbian and gay (L&G) rights more generally, are beyond the scope of this chapter.