Taking off my “staff hat” and not weighing in on WMIL taking this stance, but did want to correct one claim and offer some context on this issue overall. :)
Having worked on LGBTQ issues most of my professional career, and being a gay man planning on having a child one day, I feel confident I can say surrogacy laws very much relate to LGBTQ rights (as well as others). I spent a fair amount of time working on the topic for LGBTQ organizations around the world. It is also an issue often intentionally used to target LGBTQ families (according to the laws’ authors). The issue came up just last year in the USA as an effort to “minimize the impact of same-gender marriage victories”. Incidentally some versions discussed in the US could have financially punished employers that treated LGBTQ employees with children the same as non-LGBTQ employees with children. In short, adoption is not the only route and for some it is not a comfortable or sometimes viable option (for personal or sometimes complicated reasons). As such, surrogacy is indeed an option many LGBTQ families pursue. As far as it being an alternative, that is usually true, but it is also true for non-LGBTQ families and I am not aware of viable political movements successfully suggesting non-LGBTQ families should not worry about surrogacy laws as adoptions are an alternative option for them. Regardless of how you feel about this particular action, I believe it is important we talk about it factually. WMIL’s claim that this issue has to do with LGBTQ rights is accurate - if we are to believe the claims of LGBTQ organizations around the world and lawmakers who over the years have sponsored the types of laws in question. However, unless you are suggesting your opinion on the actual action WMIL took would have changed if they had instead talked about the audience you personally believe it impacts most - I am not sure how it relates or matters. -greg PS. For what it is worth, as a LGBTQ employee of the Wikimedia Foundation, I am proud and better able to focus on my work as I personally feel the Foundation has been supportive of its LGBTQ employees, direct volunteers, and recruits. Having worked elsewhere in jobs where that was not always the case, I am keenly aware of the impact a silent, unsupportive, or “tolerant” environment can have on productivity, morale, quality, retention, and recruiting efforts for both LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ people within the organization. I am also glad that at this moment the US government is not financially punishing the Foundation for employing me as I grow my family simply because I’m gay (or alternatively forcing the Foundation to make me pay more in taxes than my non-LGBTQ colleagues) - that has historically not always been the case, and may not always be the case in the future. _______________ Sent from my iPhone - a more detailed response may be sent later. > On Jul 21, 2018, at 1:51 AM, Mario Gómez <[email protected]> wrote: > > Hi, > > "a legal change on that would have given the LGBT community the right to > become parents" > > If I read correctly, this is simply not true. It denied the right to use > gestational surrogacy. They can adopt though. > > Note that gestational surrogacy is not a simple issue and it is highly > political. I'm sure many wikimedians oppose it, among which I include > myself. Surrogacy has nothing to do with LGBT rights, and everything to do > with exploitation of women, and more particularly, women of less advantaged > social classes. > > It is sad to see a Wikimedia chapter to take this official position. I hope > WMF never follows these steps. > > Best, > > Mario > > > > > On Fri, Jul 20, 2018 at 9:57 AM, Itzik - Wikimedia Israel < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> Hi, >> >> A few days ago, the Israeli parliament, with the support of Israeli Prime >> Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, blocked a legal change on that would have >> given the LGBT community the right to become parents. The new law denies >> state-supported surrogacy to LGBT couples and single men. >> >> In response, Israel’s LGBT Task Force called publicly for a strike on >> Sunday, "The LGBT community is calling upon you, the LGBT and community >> supporters, to join us in a one-day nationwide strike on Sunday, July 22, >> Tisha Be’av". >> >> During the last few days, a huge list of big companies and organizations in >> Israel *publicized *their support and joined the strike by allowing their >> employees to take a paid day off work to join the nationwide protest. >> >> This morning, the board of Wikimedia Israel, alongside with other >> organizations joined this call and published this announcement: >> https://www.facebook.com/WikimediaIL/posts/1716487061739276 >> https://twitter.com/WikimediaIL/status/1020214512392302592 >> <https://www.facebook.com/WikimediaIL/posts/1716487061739276> >> >> *"Wikimedia Israel supports the just struggle for full equality, led by the >> Israeli LGTBQ community.* >> >> *Equality to every woman and man, regardless of gender, sexual preference, >> religion, origin, or disability is a central value in the international >> Wikimedia Movement. * >> >> *The current outcry for the right for parenthood, indiscriminate medical >> treatment, and protection against violent statements by public figures >> against the LGTBQ community, is a part of the grand and continuous struggle >> for full rights and legitimacy to the Israeli LGTBQ community, and we >> support them in their struggle."* >> >> >> >> *Itzik Edri* >> Chairperson >> [email protected] >> +972-54-5878078 >> _______________________________________________ >> Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/ >> wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/ >> wiki/Wikimedia-l >> New messages to: [email protected] >> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, >> <mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe> > _______________________________________________ > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l > New messages to: [email protected] > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > <mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe> _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines and https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia-l New messages to: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, <mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe>
