Deves,who co-founded the Save Women’s Sport lobby group,condemned surrogacy as a “human rights violation” after gay US politician and former presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg posted about becoming a parent.
“Surrogacy is a human rights violation,” she replied. “Women’s bodies are not vehicles for a vanity project.” It was later reported Buttigieg and his husband actually adopted two children.
Deves made similar remarks in other now-deleted tweets including a December 31 message saying:“Surrogacy is reproductive prostitution. It is egregious exploitation of women,both the woman from the egg is ‘harvested’ and the pregnant woman who gives birth to the baby. Breaking the mother-baby dyad is a catastrophic disruption to normal human reproduction and relationship.”
Some feminists have called commercial surrogacy – where a woman is paid to carry the baby –reproductive prostitution,though Deves’ tweet did not distinguish between paid and unpaid. Commercial surrogacy is illegal in all Australian states and territories bar the Northern Territory,where there are no relevant laws.
Sam Everingham,global director of Sydney-based surrogacy organisation Growing Families,said Deves’ “inflammatory” comments suggested she was unfamiliar with the reality of surrogacy.
“Many hundreds of Australians engage in well-regulated surrogacy arrangements every year,including many from her own electorate,” he said. “Ignorance breeds prejudice and discrimination.”