I have just finished reading an article written by a solicitor about his experience of becoming a first time parent, via international surrogacy.

He explains that he had not come out at work before the surrogacy process started.  When he did, whilst his firm was very supportive, he asked them to introduce diversity training due to inappropriate remarks made by some of his colleagues.  He expresses concern that the legal profession is very conservative and, in his opinion, not openly supportive of its gay members.  He states that he knows colleagues who have not come out at work because they fear being driven out of their jobs. 

I think it is sadly ironic that the very profession who is supposed to help people uphold their legal rights is treating its gay members in this way.  The international surrogacy process is hard enough without extra pressure from un-supporting work colleagues.  As commercial surrogacy is not legal in the UK, couples face the unenviable choice of voluntary surrogacy here, when the surrogate might try and refuse to hand the child over or international surrogacy and face English court proceedings as well as potential proceedings in the country where the child is born.  I doubt whether the prejudices from “friends” at work would be encountered by a straight couple who decided to use a commercial international surrogacy arrangement!