“It’s a constant battle.”
Brian Dowling and Arthur Gourounlian have urged the Government to end the legal “no-man’s land” surrounding surrogacy in Ireland.
Speaking to the Irish Mail on Sunday, the two presenters said that the lack of regulation around surrogacy for gay couples is “totally confusing for us”.
The new parents welcomed Blake Rose Maria Dowling-Gourounlian just over two months ago and Brian’s sister Aoife acted as the couple’s surrogate.
After fighting for their right to marry, the couple has now said that it has become tiring battling for even more human rights when it comes to being a parent.
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“The LGBT community has had to fight every single step of the way just for basic rights. It’s a constant battle,” Brian said.
While Aoife did not donate the egg, she is still legally named as Blake’s birth mother on official documents.
“Blake deserves to have both her parents’ names on the birth [cert]. Aoife is not the biological mother, but her name is on the birth cert. Why can’t both our names go on our daughter’s birth cert?” Arthur said.
“Basically, in Ireland surrogacy is not regulated at all. So you’re kind of caught in the middle of a grey area.”
The couple’s call for more action regarding surrogacy comes after a High Court judge criticised the communication of the plan to introduce legislation that would regularise surrogacy abroad.
Judge John Jordan said that he was disappointed to learn of the news through the media that international surrogacy is to be recognised and regulated through legislation, which is likely to be put before Cabinet this week.
