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Woman sues sperm bank for her mixed race child.

Posted by Sidney, 08 Oct 14

A white lesbian mother sued a sperm bank when the bank sent her a sample sperm from a black donor instead of from the white one she had selected; "wrongful birth" she called it. What does that even mean? Well, the child being referred to as a "wrongful birth" is their mixed race daughter.

This woman argues that she and her white partner don't possess the "cultural competency" to assist their child - whose main physical features are "typical of an African American girl" - to cope with the challenges of racial segregation and prejudice in her "all-white community" and "often unconsciously insensitive family."

Apparently, most parents to be (especially whites) want a child who looks like them so they usually choose a donor that is from their race. And sperm banks give them this choice:

Your perfect partner could be online right now...

What are you looking for?

"Most [sperm banks] separate donor directories along lines race and offer online drop-down menus to filter donors by race. Some even color-code the samples they store and ship: white for a white donor, black for a black donor, yellow for an Asian donor, and red for donors of "unique or mixed ancestry."
This isn't racial bigotry; it's business savvy. Donor services are responding to consumer preferences and trying to prevent a mix-up many parents would regard as unfortunate. Some want to hide the fact they couldn't conceive on their own. Others want a child who shares their genetic background. - Huffington Post

Not bigotry? I think what they are saying is that when it comes to family, race matters. And if we go by this, then the message I am getting here is that there is no room for mixed race families when it comes to assisted reproduction. And I think the message carried here is very disruptive - I mean, how does a mother call her own child a "wrongful birth" just because she is half black?

Do you sympathize with this mother? Is she really worried about the future their mixed race child - trying to spare their child from identity issues and racial ridicule and prejudice - or is she just being racist, dubbing this a "wrongful birth" meaning 'wrong race'?

1 responses to "Woman sues sperm bank for her mixed race child."

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Lisdan says:

Posted: 19 Oct 14

wow.... what does that say for all the people who are biracial or even multiracial are they what would be considered a "wrongful birth" for their mere existence? Most people who have a child of mixed race don't hold a particular knowledge on how to deal, that's ridiculous.... the child is niether one nor the other but a mixing of the two therefore biracial, meaning both, so that is no excuse. She just couldn't flat out say that she did not want a mixed baby of any sort.... me being multiracial myself and most of my family( extended and otherwise) find her basis to have no foundation other than her dissatisfaction of having a biracial child in general.

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