Japan Today
national

Japan's sperm donation law spurs controversy

44 Comments
By Tomohiro OSAKI

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© 2022 AFP

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.


44 Comments

Comments have been disabled You can no longer respond to this thread.

It's wild to me how much Japan laments the low birth rates, and then goes on to **** on the people trying to actually have kids.

Given the low birth rates in Japan... taking measures that make it even harder to procreate seems like a bad idea. Maybe they should recognize lesbian couples instead of regulating sperm.

29 ( +43 / -14 )

It does cause harm to the child. Imagine how a kid would be treated if other kids found out they had "two mommy's".

This was the logic behind banning people of different racial backgrounds from marrying in 1950s America.

20 ( +24 / -4 )

It does cause harm to the child. Imagine how a kid would be treated if other kids found out they had "two mommy's".

That is an excellent reason to improve social education so invalid discrimination and harassment is eliminated, and a terrible reason not to allow something.

17 ( +25 / -8 )

The important point for any child is to be loved and cared for.

How many children live through a divorce? How many live without any parents? How many in single parents? How many are in foster homes or orphanages?

There is not one model that fits all.

13 ( +13 / -0 )

I agree that this issue should no longer be in the gray area; the law should apply to all those who want a baby, regardless of their status: married, single, lesbian or gay!

13 ( +13 / -0 )

Many young people in their prime reproductive age aren’t getting paid enough to start a family and that’s the reason for Japan’s low birth rate. Allowing artificial insemination for same sex couples won’t help much.

12 ( +22 / -10 )

Why do governments and certain groups interfere with the rights and privacy of others? Let folk do what they want if it makes them happy. Why should something like this be illegal? As long as it doesn't cause harm to the child and being raised in a loving safe environment who should care?

12 ( +19 / -7 )

As Japan's population is getting older and the number of children born every year is decreasing, lesbian couples should be encouraged to have babies born through artificial conception by donor sperm. And gay men should be permitted to adopt babies from orphanges.

11 ( +15 / -4 )

It does cause harm to the child. Imagine how a kid would be treated if other kids found out they had "two mommy's".

As opposed to what, “zero parents?”

yeah, I think the child would prefer getting ridiculed with having two caring mothers over having no one at all.

and as for Japan, get your heads out of the gutter. As usual.

If there are two loving parents with stable jobs and income, let them have more opportunities to start a family, not make it more difficult.

I know the concept of living in 2022 and NOT being in the 50’s-60’s is incomprehensible, but try……

11 ( +15 / -4 )

It does cause harm to the child. Imagine how a kid would be treated if other kids found out they had "two mommy's".

If parents teach their own kids that having one parent, two moms or two dads is okay, then these "kids" won't be mistreated. If they do get mistreated, it's only because "normal" parents taught their own kids that it's not okay to have one parent, two moms or two dads.

10 ( +12 / -2 )

It's baffling how the Japanese government whines and whinges about low birth rates and a plummeting population but then turns around and does faff like this. What should it matter so long as the baby is born happy and healthy and has a parent, two parents (two moms, two dads, a mom and and a dad etc. ), or some other family member or relative that loves and cares for them unconditionally?

10 ( +12 / -2 )

All citizens should enjoy equal rights and protections under the law.

10 ( +12 / -2 )

Why does there have to be legislation for just about everything? Why can't people be allowed to make up their own minds about things like this?

9 ( +13 / -4 )

Children from same-sex families scored about 6 percent higher in general ... couples are happier and healthier than peers, research shows.

9 ( +13 / -4 )

I wonder who said LGBT et al was not an issue 20 years ago.

it was certainly an issue well before that. In fact when the first test tube baby was born it became an issue.

LGBT issues have always been there through history. Allen Turing a Mathematician who was a national hero, charged, chemical castration, eventually committed suicide. Not to mention the laws that prosecuted gay men , but never gay women, inheritance rights, mortgage rights, marriage rights, hospital visitation rights, family rights, adoption rights. These were all issues by the LGB community but you were a kid when they were being debated. IVF, and how many cycles should a women have, and should lesbians, who can’t conceive naturally be treated the same as a heterosexual women who cannot conceive naturally be treated the same, or treated differently, when they all pay the same health care tax, and the same bills.

ofcourse the LGB community has added a few more letters to its initial group but health care has always been an LGBT issue.

HIV and discrimination was an issue only when it threatened the heterosexual community. Or it certainly gained more traction in the media and in politics. So yes! It has been an issue since you were born.

9 ( +11 / -2 )

I have no idea why they keep and add laws that restrict childbirth, and they keep IVF etc outside the national health insurance. Me and my wife paid like 40k for her pregnancy through IVF, if I had a normal salaryman job I would still be childless. They say they want more kids, but at the same time it looks like they work against it.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

WebberToday  08:11 am JST

As long as it doesn't cause harm to the child and being raised in a loving safe environment who should care?

It does cause harm to the child. Imagine how a kid would be treated if other kids found out they had "two mommy's".

I wonder how many lesbians you know who have had children? Imagine how kids would be treated if other kids found out they had two mums? Well the child still has a father. Some kids only have one parent.

the idea that kids will be bullied because they are different is rather useless because this argument could have been used in mixed marriages , eg Imagine if other kids found out their mother was white and the father black, argument.

many married couple have kids, only l for one partner to leave the relationship because one is gay later on. Other kids will find anything to bully other kids, funny hair, disabled parents, a hearing aid, glasses, the list goes on. Like any child heheh will always love their parents, and the parents will always love the child, and schools will deal with it. And hopefully the bully will grow up, realize they were children, and be more tolerant.

7 ( +12 / -5 )

Bonnie WebberToday 08:11 am JST

It does cause harm to the child. Imagine how a kid would be treated if other kids found out they had "two mommy's".

Perhaps you aren't aware of the longitudinal studies done over the last 20 years that show children of LGBTQIA parents are just as healthy and happy as any other children.

And children will only be cruel to the children of LGBTQIA parents IF their parents teach them bigotry.

So who's fault is that?

7 ( +20 / -13 )

WebberToday  08:11 am JST

As long as it doesn't cause harm to the child and being raised in a loving safe environment who should care?

It does cause harm to the child. Imagine how a kid would be treated if other kids found out they had "two mommy's".

I wonder how many lesbians you know who have had children? Probably none! By your attitude .Imagine how kids would be treated if other kids found out they had two mums? Well the child still has a father and a mother. Some kids only have one parent.

The idea that kids will be bullied because they are different is rather mute, because this argument could have been used in mixed marriages , eg Imagine if other kids found out their mother was white and the father black, argument. or divorced argument Many married couple have kids, only for one partner to leave the relationship because one is gay later on. Other kids will find anything to bully other kids, funny hair, disabled parents, a hearing aid, glasses, the list goes on, not Japanese enough, blah blah Like any child, thry will always love their parents, and the parents will always love the child, and schools will deal with it. And hopefully the bully will grow up, realize they were children, and be more tolerant. Only you see sexuality but the kids sure as heck don’t.

You mentioned the family unit. Gone are the days when a women had to stay in a marriage she didn’t want to be in. Now women/and men can be a single parent but let’s remember the children still have two parents. Not one! Children can be just as neglected living with two parents and can thrive living with a single parent. Some kids mother or father die, are they neglected? Of course not. And what is the true modern definition of neglect? A Lack of love or the lack of the latest Xbox, Netflix or Switch iPhone.

Im sure in Your home country you’ll find millions of adults raised by a single parent who turned great.

President Obama being one.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

YubaruToday 08:33 am JST

Please share with some facts or links that support your theory here that women have been having babies without men?

Ah, but that's not what I said: I said "having babies without help from men."

I'm sure I don't need to show you studies that prove the existence of single mothers and lesbian couples with children, do I?

Let's not pretend you didn't know what I meant.

3 ( +16 / -13 )

Are government officials required to witness the act of conception?

3 ( +4 / -1 )

The Japanese birthrate is in the negative. More die than born.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Why does there have to be legislation for just about everything? Why can't people be allowed to make up their own minds about things like this?

Legislation is needed because the essential feature of a legal sperm donor is someone who can waive all of the normal rights and responsibilities attached to what would otherwise be their own biological child. No ordinary parent is allowed to do this. Without additional legislation, a sperm donor is just a father.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

But I wonder if they realize that women have been having children for centuries without any real help from men, and this law isn't going to change a thing.

Please share with some facts or links that support your theory here that women have been having babies without men?

1 ( +13 / -12 )

First fix things for married couples!

It is an expensive process for infertility treatment it discriminates based on age, sperm donation isn't the only thing not permitted.

Egg donation I noticed wasn't mentioned and unless suddenly things changed that is still not permitted.

No for that the doctors give you pamphlets on how to go to Taiwan to get egg donation at incredibly high cost and requiring a lot of free time from both the wife and husband.

Same sex couples that complain should be given a reality check.

I am not 195 cm tall or athletic so complaining that I couldn't be a pro basketball player would be silly.

Well the same applies to pretty much the rest in life 2 men together cannot produce a child, 2 women together cannot it either, so expecting the world to change or bend over backwards to accommodate something you should have logically known wasn't possible seems strange.

0 ( +27 / -27 )

wonder which of these two gave birth to the child...

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

AntiquesavingToday 10:05 am JST

You mean like the YouTube video being praised by the LGBTQ.....opwxuz. where 2 men dressed as women discuss what it is like to be a woman and issues women face? You mean that type of reality.

No idea what you're going on about here. But:

These are facts you can look them up both UK and USA studies

I did.

https://whatweknow.inequality.cornell.edu/topics/lgbt-equality/what-does-the-scholarly-research-say-about-the-wellbeing-of-children-with-gay-or-lesbian-parents/

Have fun reading.

-2 ( +9 / -11 )

as japan needs more taxpayers, JGOV will allow sperm donation to create more tax revenue

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Awa no GaijinToday 01:42 pm JST

Other than women cant produce sperm would be a realization that futile to deny

It's truly a shame that anyone would think that women are having babies without any real help from men. So sad that there's no respect for something that so special .

The real shame is the prejuduce against lesbian mothers and gay fathers.

Sad there's no respect for LGBTQIA only because they love someone of the same gender.

To be blinded by sexism is a curse.

Yes, maybe you should work on that.

-4 ( +9 / -13 )

I really don’t care. Let gay couples do whatever they want, none of my business. But sperm donation is only helpful for lesbian couples and heterosexual couples where the man is infertile. What about heterosexual couples where the woman is infertile or two gay men? Japan makes it almost impossible for heterosexual couples even to adopt a child so two gay men wanting children are doubly screwed.

-6 ( +15 / -21 )

https://www.cdc.gov/lgbthealth/youth.htm

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/06/only-37-of-lgbt-teens-say-theyre-happy/427746/

https://www.hrc.org/news/new-cdc-data-shows-lgbtq-youth-are-more-likely-to-be-bullied-than-straight-cisgender-youth

girl_in_tokyo

Here are some facts I found to proove your......ahem...."fact" these kids are "as happy as any other children" isn't true. I as well as many other readers can tell you we didn't have to be contemplating the worst case because of our parent's choice of sexualities and the daily barrage of h@te these kids face for their choices. back in my day, we got made fun of for not being able to watch He-Man or Thundercats (not bullying!) because we had to study.

-8 ( +5 / -13 )

Perhaps you aren't aware of the longitudinal studies done over the last 20 years that show children of LGBTQIA parents are just as healthy and happy as any other children

You mean like the YouTube video being praised by the LGBTQ.....opwxuz. where 2 men dressed as women discuss what it is like to be a woman and issues women face?

You mean that type of reality.

A transgender once tried telling my wife that her premature menopause and fertility problem were no different than his/hers and that he/she is just as devastated to not be able to get pregnant!

Seriously? Born a male not being able to get pregnant is obvious from the start but suddenly in her mid 20s being told she is in menopause and may never have children is suddenly the same!

The LGBTQ......need a reality check.

I once supported it but now they have gone far to off the rails.

I raised 2 children as a single father, sorry 2 parents is better and one of each born gender is even better.

As a man what the heck did I know about menstruation and napkins, tampons, etc.. so how was I supposed to help my daughter when the time came that is just one thing, what do women know about certain involuntary bodily functions a pubescent boy is having.

It sure wasn't my mother that explained these things to me that was my father's job.

Sorry despite the propaganda by certain groups all the evidence points to far better results when children are raised by 2 parents and of opposite sex.

In fact children raised with both biological parents, do better in school, tend to be physically healthier.

These are facts you can look them up both UK and USA studies

-10 ( +8 / -18 )

Readers, this story is generating too many negative comments. So discussion will be closed for about two hours.

I agree. It is one thing if a couple wants to be gay or lesbian, but it is an entire different thing bringing a child into a world where they will suffer because they have two moms or dads, which is "different" than the norm.

I wanted to touch on the part talking about a single woman having a baby. Being single and having a baby is not a "family unit". There should be a husband, a wife, and a child(ren). Call me old fashioned if you will. Growing up in a single parent household often leads to neglect as the mother needs to work, and there is no other person to take care of the child. Single mothers should not be allowed to have this procedure.

I completely agree with you 100% makes absolute perfect and logical sense.

-11 ( +8 / -19 )

LGBTQIA was not even a "thing" 20 years ago.

Thank you

-13 ( +10 / -23 )

Perhaps you aren't aware of the longitudinal studies done over the last 20 years that show children of LGBTQIA parents are just as healthy and happy as any other children. 

Which studies? By whom?

And children will only be cruel to the children of LGBTQIA parents IF their parents teach them bigotry. 

“IF they are taught bigotry.”

So who's fault is that?

You know it’s very hard to find any opposing viewpoints on same sex marriages because when you go through Google they changed their algorithms to show not only the same sites page after page put only pro-same sex marriages come up. Why would Google do this? Why not allow all sides to be heard and debated on a very serious topic. What right does Google have thinking it has a right to push a formulated opinion?

-18 ( +5 / -23 )

I'm not surprised that the bigoted old dinosaurs would come up with something this stupid. But I wonder if they realize that women have been having children for centuries without any real help from men, and this law isn't going to change a thing.

Or hey ... maybe this law will make sure that men who impregnate women can't just run off and leave them to care for a baby all on their own?

Nah. That's not what it's for. We all know it's to punish women for being lesbians because it makes these types of men feel useless if women don't have any interest in their [redacted].

Sorry, guys, but lesbians will still be having babies. Good try, though.

-20 ( +20 / -40 )

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites