The Maxim Institute would like to see moral outrage preventing lesbians from becoming mothers via sperm donation. Responding to figures from Fertility Associates Wellington that indicate two thirds of its sperm donation recipients are single women or lesbian couples, Maxim's managing director Greg Fleming says the figures aren't encouraging, but Maxim won't be pushing for a ban on sperm donation for lesbians. "I don't think that these results are things that law should be wading into," said Fleming, described by Newstalk ZB as a "social commentator". "I'd prefer to see society sending the message by social mores and cultural norms." Lesbian mum Sue Iversen has responded by saying a loving, caring environment is more important than the gender or number of parents. She says children get their gender identity from a range of sources in the society around them, and that a number of so-called “ideal” families are dysfunctional. Scientific director Bert Stewart says the reason far less straight couples use sperm banks is due to vast improvements in fertility technology over the last 10 years. Eggs can now be fertilised from a single sperm, negating the need for most straight couples to use a sperm bank.
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Tuesday, 17th August 2004 - 12:00pm