Rainbow Families has made a formal submission to the Australian Law Reform Commission, calling for urgent changes to the surrogacy system in Australia.
For too long, the laws around surrogacy have treated LGBTQ+ families as exceptions or left us out altogether. That's caused stress, stigma and financial strain for those already raising children, and for those still trying to build their families.
What our community is saying
Parents have told us about the years they spent stuck in complex, expensive and emotionally draining processes to become parents. The system still left them in legal limbo. Their struggles show just how unfair and outdated the existing laws are.
What we’re asking for
Our submission demands a surrogacy system that:
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Puts kids first
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Supports families and surrogates
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Recognises overseas arrangements
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Ends legal differences across states
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Allows parents to be recognised from birth
Ashley Scott, Executive Officer, Rainbow Families, said:
“The existing laws around surrogacy in Australia have been unnecessarily prohibitive to our families, and unfair to the surrogates who make those families possible. It’s time that changed.
As a father of two girls born through surrogacy, I speak from first-hand experience.
If other countries can navigate surrogacy with safety, fairness and compassion, so can Australia.”
Why this matters
Enough is enough.
Rainbow Families has been calling for change for more than a decade. We’ve done the work, are raising our kids and building strong families, just like everyone else.
It’s time for laws that reflect reality, for laws that treat all families equally and don't just favour biology.
We are calling on lawmakers to do the right thing with our submission, for parents who need surrogacy to create their families.
We need laws that meet the needs of modern families.
Read our full submission here.
