An increasing number of gay couples in California and throughout the country are opting to find a surrogate instead of adoption. In many states, including California, it is incredibly difficult for gay and lesbian couples to adopt a child.
Catholic Charities in Illinois recently made national news for refusal to offer adoption services to gay and lesbian couples. Rather than adhere to an Illinois law to not discriminate against gay and lesbian couples wishing to adopt a child, the organization opted to cease all adoptive services at the expense of many children who need homes. This is not an isolated case. Adoption service organizations throughout the country and even in California are taking similar measures.
Statistically speaking, gay and lesbian couples are more likely than straight couples to adopt children who are less desirable to adopt, such as children with special needs, minority children, or older children. It is difficult to say whether this is due to their own preferences or because of discrimination on the part of adoption agencies that pair “less desirable” children with “less desirable” parents. Whatever the reason, it is clear that adoption is challenging for gay and lesbian couples for a multitude of reasons and that finding a surrogate is often a more attractive option for childless gay couples in California.
Trying to find a surrogate in California is not restricted to gay male couples. While lesbian couples can certainly biologically produce a child more easily than gay male couples, many make the decision to find a surrogate for various legal reasons or if both women are unable to conceive. Lesbian couples frequently use donor sperm to conceive; however, this can lead to strain legally and emotionally and thus may not be the most attractive option for many gay women. Finally, we cannot forget that straight couples and single people opt for surrogacy, as well as gay and lesbian couples for medical or physical or social reasons.
On a social level, a child created through surrogacy may be more accepted than a child created through a sperm donation and who biologically belongs to only one parent. He or she may also have difficulty accepting his status as belonging biologically to only one parent. A child living in a state in which he or she is viewed as belonging legally and biologically to one parent and not the other may be ridiculed by peers and viewed differently than a child who has two biological parents.
Find A Surrogate California – Same-sex couples who wish to find a surrogate in California can find unbiased help and information from the Center for Surrogate Parenting, Inc.