French doctors illegally help gay couples access IVF treatment

130 or so doctors in France have admitted to enabling gay couples to access in-vitro fertilisation despite being legally prohibited from doing so. Same-sex marriage was legalised in France in 2013 with the bill initially extending to offer gay couples assisted procreation via IVF and surrogacy.

This clause was soon dropped due to strong opposition. It is therefore still illegal for gay couples to receive these treatments currently reserved for heterosexual people.

Such treatments are available elsewhere in the world, however, as new film Gayby Baby explores the lives of four Australian children growing up with gay parents and the unique challenges they face. As gay parenting becomes increasingly common and accepted, a growing number of children speak out about their experiences of being raised by gay parents in a heteronormative world.

The film has been shown at Sydney Film Festival and other outlets, scooping numerous nominations and awards.

Words: Rhys Matthews