Flipping through People at the hair place I see a typical story on celebs in their homes with new babies. Among all the usual hetero pairings there is one man — apparently a design star on HGTV — with an infant who, the text says, the TV star “welcomed in January, by surrogate.” Most of the text is taken up with what color scheme he chose for the infant’s nursery and what effect he thinks sophisticated design will have on the child.
Something that until about two minutes ago, or in any other setting (just imagine other People-type stories) was viewed as one of life’s greatest tragedies — being denied one’s mother, by death or for any other reason — is now treated as…no big deal. Why? Because one or more adults in question wanted it that way.
Categories: Motherhood, Reproductive Technologies
I wonder if this type of behavior is being normalized by such stories. Its hard to get an audience in People’s magazine for the “rest of the story” such as the ones portrayed by this blog…..even though I view the folks here as far more human and every bit as much a star within their own realm.
I agree. I knew two wealthy men in a relationship and they announced they were both going to have a surrogate carry a child for them, and they were going to be born around the same time. I felt just incredible sadness for these children. These are kids that will never, ever, ever have a mother. How profoundly heartbreaking. No mother’s lap, no breast, no mommy to comfort them. No one (except a grandmother I suppose) who they can celebrate Mother’s Day with. All I could think was it was a tragedy. I grew up without a dad and that was hard enough. I can’t imagine never even having a mother.
Lee, of course this kind of article helps normalize this practice.
I keep waiting for a hetero star to announce that he is choosing a surrogate and donor egg because he wanted to start a family, but was tired of looking for the right woman.
Speaking of songs (on another thread Elizabeth mentioned “Will the Circle Be Unbroken) here’s a favorite sad song about a child with no mother (or father): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGvwGxeFii4