Indiana

UPDATE: As of October 6th, the proposal for this law has been withdrawn due to public outcry.

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I don't believe this. I simply don't believe this. Click here if you don't believe me.

There is a bill up for consideration in Indiana which would criminalize medically assisted conception/reproduction, unless the woman in question first passed a screening test.

The bill says a woman "who knowingly or willingly participates in an artificial reproduction procedure" without court approval, "commits unauthorized
reproduction, a Class B misdemeanor." The same is true of her doctor.

In it's face, that doesn't sound so bad, until you hear the requirements.

In order to become pregnant by any means other than male-female intercourse, a woman would have to obtain a government authorization ("Gestational Certificate") to reproduce. In order to get said authorization, she would have to:

...be married to a person of the opposite gender.
...have the right values, including participating in church or other faith based activities.

In other words, the state of Indiana wants to make it illegal for lesbians to become inseminated, and considers athiest/agnostic couples with fertility troubles not worthy of medical help.

Now, don't get me wrong, there are a lot of people out there having children who shouldn't. There are a lot of horrible parents out there. But to try to limit access to reproductive medical assistance to anyone who is not married, straight and christian is not in line with the philosophies of this country.

Philosophically, I would have no problems with prospective parents having to meet certain minimum qualifications before they would be allowed to reproduce. In practice, the idea scares the willies out of me, because it would be a law just begging for abuse.

But this, a law which couldn't be more unequal if it came right out and said "If you aren't the right sort of people, you can't have children in Indiana". First it's gays and non-christians. Who'd be next? Blacks? Arabs? Families with ties to the Democratic Party?

Liam.