Canadian Clinic: No Non-Whitey Sperm for Whitey

William Haskins · Jul 26, 2014

one would think she would have gotten the message from the "whites only" turkey baster in their logo...

A Calgary woman says she was shocked to learn of a policy at the city’s only fertility treatment centre that restricts patients from using sperm, eggs or embryos from donors who do not match their ethnic background.

Catherine, who asked to use only her first name, said she sought invitro fertilization at the Regional Fertility Program last March as a single woman. During routine consultations with her doctor she was told she could only use sperm from donors who were white, like her.

“That’s when everything went downhill,” she told the Herald. “I was absolutely floored.”

Dr. Calvin Greene, the clinic’s administrative director, confirmed the private facility will not treat couples or singles who insist on using donors of a different ethnicity. The policy has been in place since the clinic opened in the 1980s.

“I’m not sure that we should be creating rainbow families just because some single woman decides that that’s what she wants,” he said. “That’s her prerogative, but that’s not her prerogative in our clinic.”

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/c...fertility+centre/10063343/story.html?link=rss

Perks · Jul 26, 2014

When my husband and I were on our third date, I told him we could never get married and have children because they'd be invisible. Then look what we went and did. (The resultant children are lovely, and only moderately translucent.)

However, if I had ever gone the single-but-ready-for-a-baby route, I would have definitely considered selecting from a more warmly-pigmented donor group.

What a completely obnoxious stipulation.

robeiae · Jul 26, 2014

From the article:

Greene said doctors at the clinic feel “a child of an ethnic background should have the ability to be able to identify with their ethnic roots.” He added patients should have a “cultural connection” to their donors.

Moronic. One step forward, two steps back.

Greene said the clinic’s policy follows similar guidelines used with in-province adoption and foster care, where children are placed with families of their same cultural background whenever possible.

“I would ask you, why would you not choose somebody of your own cultural background?”

For starters, mutts tend to be healthier than purebreds...

Perks · Jul 26, 2014

“I would ask you, why would you not choose somebody of your own cultural background?”

If you're going to custom-order a baby (and I mean that in a matter-of-fact, non-sneering way) the priorities would likely include physical health, intelligence, and aesthetics.

What this asshole is less-than-subtly telegraphing is a judgement on the different ethnic provision in at least two of those categories.

Lillith1991 · Jul 26, 2014

Wonder what they would make of me? What do you think guys, as a mixed race person would they give me the black sperm or white sperm?

William Haskins · Jul 26, 2014

neopolitan.

Cyia · Jul 26, 2014

Imagine having a mixed-race couple who wants to ensure their child looks as close to what their own biological mix would produce, but they can't because... policy.

I wonder what they'd tell a light skinned person of color, or a very dark Caucasian.

rugcat · Jul 26, 2014

Lillith1991 said:
Wonder what they would make of me? What do you think guys, as a mixed race person would they give me the black sperm or white sperm?

Black, for sure.

The one-drop rule is a historical colloquial term in the United States for the social classification as Negro of individuals with any African ancestry; meaning any person with "one drop of Negro blood" was considered black.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-drop_rule

Vince524 · Jul 26, 2014

Lillith1991 said:
Wonder what they would make of me? What do you think guys, as a mixed race person would they give me the black sperm or white sperm?

They'd toss the samples in a blender.

BenPanced · Jul 26, 2014

Lillith1991 said:
Wonder what they would make of me? What do you think guys, as a mixed race person would they give me the black sperm or white sperm?

I dunno. Maybe mix a little of the two together and make grey?

William Haskins · Jul 26, 2014

indeed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcJM-mgVUgQ

Xelebes · Jul 26, 2014

rugcat said:
Black, for sure.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-drop_rule

That only applies in the US. We use métis. Not a dam bit better than coloured but you're turning back away from your savage ways.

Celia Cyanide · Jul 26, 2014

Is it legal for them to do this?

milkweed · Jul 26, 2014

Lillith1991 said:
Wonder what they would make of me? What do you think guys, as a mixed race person would they give me the black sperm or white sperm?

Excellent question, I'm half mi'kmaq and half white (well pink actually since I inherited the welsh coloring from my dad). Would they insist on another white/pink donor, or could I have a native american donor???

That said, I thought Canada was way more advanced than the States on these sorts of topics?

Xelebes · Jul 26, 2014

Celia Cyanide said:
Is it legal for them to do this?

Likely not.

Xelebes · Jul 26, 2014

milkweed said:
That said, I thought Canada was way more advanced than the States on these sorts of topics?

I've noticed that Canada has quite a few hangups on specific issues which are different from the US. There is also some crossbreeding in specific political wings that make us like the US.

Celia Cyanide · Jul 26, 2014

Xelebes said:
Likely not.

I wouldn't think so, either, and it certainly shouldn't be. But I could see this being one of those things that don't have laws, because no one thought of it before.

Mayday · Jul 26, 2014

"No Non-Whitey Sperm for Whitey"

I don't find that surprising, since most people (naturally) want a child that looks like themselves. I am surprised, however, over the racist term 'Whitey.' I doubt that an equivalent epithet used against any other race would be allowed on here.

Lillith1991 · Jul 26, 2014

milkweed said:
Excellent question, I'm half mi'kmaq and half white (well pink actually since I inherited the welsh coloring from my dad). Would they insist on another white/pink donor, or could I have a native american donor???

That said, I thought Canada was way more advanced than the States on these sorts of topics?

The funny thing is that the article says the clinic has a policy of "allowing" interacial couples to choose a donor from either partners ethnic group. The policy for monoracial couples is the issue. That and the assumption that skin is what makes culture. I'm both ethnically and culturally mixed, I identify with black culture because my mother made sure I was rooted in my father's family and culture. My mom is half-jewish, we went to Temple and to a Black church. I idenify with Jewish culture because the first prayer I learned as a extremely small child was in hebrew. I doubt that there's someone both black and Jewish in their donor pool. What would someone who is mixed and Jewish or Black and Jewish do for a donor?

It's an idiotic policy.

Lillith1991 · Jul 26, 2014

Mayday said:
"No Non-Whitey Sperm for Whitey"

I don't find that surprising, since most people (naturally) want a child that looks like themselves. I am surprised, however, over the racist term 'Whitey.' I doubt that an equivalent epithet used against any other race would be allowed on here.

And what exactly is right about the policy "surprising" or not? The woman in the article gave clear reasons for looking outside of her ehtnic group, and even if she hadn't, it would still be her choice. As someone who's single mostly white mother (maternal grandfather was half south asian), managed very well to raise a couple of strong mixed/black women. I can reliablly say it is a parents willingness to let their non-white children be a part of the [insert ethnic minority group here] community that informs whether a child identifys as such. If the parent isn't prepared to expose their child to other people of color, then maybe a mixed child isn't the best fit for them. That choice is up to them though, not a high and mighty clinic who has a moral objection to rainbow families.

Devil Ledbetter · Jul 26, 2014

Mayday said:
"No Non-Whitey Sperm for Whitey"

I don't find that surprising, since most people (naturally) want a child that looks like themselves. I am surprised, however, over the racist term 'Whitey.' I doubt that an equivalent epithet used against any other race would be allowed on here.

I don't have a problem with it. Being white affords me and other whites an absolute embarrassment of unearned privileges. If anyone of any race wants to use the term whitey to describe my race, I'm OK with it.

Nice attempt at derailing the thread, though.

SomethingOrOther · Jul 26, 2014

Pretty sure that post is a botched joke. (@ Lillith.)

Lillith1991 · Jul 26, 2014

SomethingOrOther said:
Pretty sure that post is a botched joke. (@ Lillith.)

Thanks. Botched joke or not though, I think my responding post still stands. In the end it should be the choice of the mother/parents not some archaic policy designed to stop what happens naturally.

J.S.F. · Jul 26, 2014

Here's a dumb thought. Shouldn't the person who wants the in vitro fertilization be allowed to choose for themselves? Just thinkin' out loud.

Says the white guy married to a Japanese woman and who has two good looking children to show for it...

Cyia · Jul 26, 2014

Mayday said:
I don't find that surprising, since most people (naturally) want a child that looks like themselves.

And you don't think a white woman who has a child with a POC will see herself in said child? Or that a Korean mom/Hispanic dad pairing leads to a kidlet with traits from both.

Genetically, you're going to see traits passed to the child that make them resemble the parents. You're going to see brown eyes likely trump green, but that doesn't mean that only one parent's genetic material passes to the child. In fact, in the odd circumstance where that happens, the pregnancy generally self-terminates. (I can't remember the name of the condition, as there are like three recorded cases (number pulled from the thin air of sketchy memory), but basically non-twin natural cloning isn't something nature likes very much.)

Canadian Clinic: No Non-Whitey Sperm for Whitey

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