It has been an eventful summer here at the CBC!

In May, the International Campaign to Stop Surrogacy Now was launched, and CBC was an original signer of the Stop Surrogacy Now Statement.

Stop Surrogacy Now is a truly international movement that has secured the support of an array of prominent international voices—more than 5,000 people from well over 100 countries have signed the Statement (click here to sign if you haven’t already)—joining together to call for an immediate end to the practice of surrogacy and its exploitation of women.

In June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to allow same-sex marriage in all 50 states, and in its wake we saw an immediate move to a push for so called “family equality.” We detailed this move and the ways in which it rests upon the exploitation of women and the intentional breaking of biological ties in a series of posts. Catch up on these posts here:

What Justice Kennedy Failed to Mention
“Family Equality” Requires Eggsploitation
“Family Equality” Means Children Lose Biological Ties
“Family Equality” Exploits Women as Breeders

In July, we released a 22-minute documentary short entitled Maggie’s Story, an all new film profiling one woman’s journey through egg donation . . . and its consequences.

Maggie is a 34 year old women who came to us early this year with her story of egg donation and cancer. She told us, “I want to do everything I can to be a part of any studies and to make women aware of what they are really doing when they donate.” We could not agree more.

Our short film will help spread the message of the harms of egg donation. Please watch it and encourage others to do the same. You can rent it now for only $2.99 or purchase for $9.99. (Through Labor Day weekend, use code STANDWITHMAGGIE for a 25% discount on either the rental or purchase of Maggie’s Story.)

In August, we shared the early reviews of Maggie’s Story. We are encouraged to continue to get Maggie’s story out there! Writer, speaker, and activist Melinda Tankard Reist wrote:

. . . there is no scientific evidence. There is no long-term data available, and none is being gathered, on the effects of egg donation from healthy, young women . . .

Read her full review here.

H. Rex Greene, M.D, board certified in Internal Medicine, Hematology, Oncology, and Hospice-Palliative Medicine, wrote:

Maggie’s Story is another cautionary tale of the scientific and ethical gray zone of assisted reproduction . . . Rather than permit these abuses to continue, the practice should be banned and other aspects of the infertility industry tightly controlled.  

Read his full review here.

Thank you Melinda and Rex for your eloquent reviews of our new film. Thank you Maggie for your bravery to go public with your story. Moreover, thank many of you for your on-going support to do our work in a contentious world.

It has been a busy summer indeed. Thank you for your partnership.

You make our work possible

The Center for Bioethics and Culture is a non-profit 501(c)(3) public benefit educational organization. All gifts are tax-deductible.

Image by Robb North via flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)