Over the weekend, the Minneapolis newspaper reported on the ongoing legislative discussion of surrogacy in Minnesota. In the article they highlighted our work along side others in the state:

Besides the Catholic conference, the opposition here is led by the Center for Bioethics and Culture Network based in California, which produces documentaries with titles such as “Eggsploitation.”

The center’s founder Jennifer Lahl argues that surrogacy is dangerous for the woman’s mental and physical health and that children may have attachment issues.

When I first read this, I thought, it’s not so much “arguing” as simply “pointing out” the many problems with surrogacy. But, of course, I take the point that “arguing” is used in a variety of ways.

For those who are interested in the work we’ve done in Minnesota, in addition to screenings of both Eggsploitation and Breeders: A Subclass of Women? (note the question mark in the title, which the Star Tribune omitted), both Jennifer and I testified before the Minnesota Legislative Commission on Surrogacy. You can read Jennifer’s testimony here, and read my testimony here.

As we say in our issue overview, society is only beginning to grapple with the issues that surrogacy raises. This is why we are working so hard—in coalition with others, particularly through Stop Surrogacy Now—to inform people about what’s really going on when it comes to surrogacy.

One of our centerpiece events on that front this year will take place in New York on March 14. During the 61st session of the Commission on the Status of Women (#CSW61) at the United Nations, we, as part of Stop Surrogacy Now, are hosting an event entitled “Trading on The Female Body.” If you are in or near New York, please join from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm at the Benjamin Hotel. For those who are not able to be with us in person, the event will be live streamed on Facebook, and archived for later viewing.

For more on the topic of surrogacy, see the issue overview, Breeders: A Subclass of Women?, 3 Things You Should Know About Surrogacy, a one-page fact sheet on the drugs that are commonly used for women in gestational surrogacy pregnancies, and the resources at Stop Surrogacy Now.