{"id":204493,"date":"2019-06-18T10:53:29","date_gmt":"2019-06-18T15:53:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=204493"},"modified":"2019-06-19T01:19:12","modified_gmt":"2019-06-19T06:19:12","slug":"gloria-steinem-commercial-surrogacy-arguments-abortion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/gloria-steinem-commercial-surrogacy-arguments-abortion\/","title":{"rendered":"Pro-abortion Gloria Steinem opposes commercial surrogacy. She should oppose abortion for similar reasons."},"content":{"rendered":"
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Gloria Steinem is spearheading an effort to lobby the state of New York, and Governor Cuomo in particular, away from supporting the \u201cChild-Parent Security Act,\u201d a radical piece of legislation which would legalize commercial surrogacy contracts that could exploit vulnerable women. Surprisingly, Steinem\u2019s arguments against commercializing surrogacy<\/a> are rooted in an intelligent and insightful warning against the potential perils for vulnerable women. Despite Steinem\u2019s consistent outspoken support for abortion<\/a>, pro-lifers should not feel any qualms about throwing their support behind efforts to stop this particular initiative. But we should equally be ready to point out that many of the same arguments used against commercial surrogacy apply to the pro-life argument against the legalization of abortion.<\/p>\n

The law Steinem decries would enable individuals to create surrogacy contracts with women for the carrying of their children in exchange for money. As Steinem points out in her statement<\/a>, legalizing commercial surrogacy would victimize poor and vulnerable women and children:<\/p>\n

Under this bill, women in economic need become commercialized vessels for rent, and the fetuses they carry become the property of others. The surrogate mother\u2019s rights over the fetus she is carrying are greatly curtailed and she loses all rights to the baby she delivers. The bill ignores the socio-economic and racial inequalities of the reproductive commercial surrogacy industry, and puts disenfranchised women at the financial and emotional mercy of wealthier and more privileged individuals.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

READ:\u00a0\u2018Social surrogacy\u2019 on the rise in U.S. for reasons of convenience<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Profit-driven<\/strong><\/p>\n

Gloria Steinem\u2019s points about surrogacy have a natural overlap with abortion. Just like the disastrous proposed commercial surrogacy law, legalized abortion allows an entire industry to prey on vulnerable women in need. Steinem warns against the \u201cthe commercial and profit-driven reproductive surrogacy industry\u201d; pro-lifers have noted that, like the commercial surrogacy industry, the abortion industry — which shrouds the ugliness of abortion in altruistic-sounding notions of “rights” and “empowerment” — is also at its core a \u201ccommercial and profit-driven\u201d enterprise.<\/p>\n

As its most recent annual report made clear<\/a>, Planned Parenthood has continued to expand the number of abortions committed while offering fewer of the less lucrative services, like cancer screenings.\u00a0Former abortionist Dr. Anthony Levatino has also pointed out<\/a>\u00a0that abortion can be a lucrative and alluring industry for those willing to prey on vulnerable women.<\/p>\n

Renders women vulnerable to exploitation<\/strong><\/p>\n

Steinem claims that commercialized surrogacy \u201crenders women vulnerable to reproductive trafficking and exploitation, and further subordinates women as second-class citizens, all with a third-party profit motive that is unregulated.\u201d All true and valid points. Similarly, legalized abortion, especially in states like New York that have radical pro-abortion legislation<\/a>, makes women vulnerable to abusers and left without important protections<\/a>. And it is no secret that abortion frequently involves coercion<\/a> that enables the exploitation of vulnerable women.<\/p>\n

Live Action’s investigation into court documents and police reports shows a large-scale picture of the role abortion plays in aiding abusers and traffickers<\/a>:<\/p>\n