Surrogate Babies Stranded in Kyiv Bomb Shelter Amid War

Bioethics, Surrogacy, ,
Above: A screenshot from the BBC’s report.

The BBC reported Wednesday that at least 21 babies born through surrogacy are stuck in a bomb shelter nursery in Kyiv while the war rages in Ukraine.

The story underscores yet another example of the unintended consequences tied to commercial surrogacy.

Unfortunately, commercial surrogacy is a big business in parts of eastern Europe and Asia. Couples from western nations can contract with companies — like BioTexCom in Ukraine — who hire women to bear children as surrogates.

In 2020, World News reported dozens of newborn babies born through commercial surrogacy were stranded in a Kyiv hotel due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

Commercial surrogacy treats babies like products that people can buy or sell, and it treats women like commodities.

Many nations prohibit commercial surrogacy, because it is linked to the exploitation of women and children.

Unfortunately Arkansas’ commercial surrogacy laws are very lax.

Since 2017, Family Council has actively supported legislation to prohibit commercial surrogacy in Arkansas. So far that legislation has not passed.

Human beings are not products that can be bought or sold. That’s why Family Council opposes commercial surrogacy — and will continue to oppose it.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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Arkansas Community Foundation Gives $750K to Pro-LGBT Initiatives

LGBT, Transgender,

In February the Arkansas Community Foundation announced that it awarded 21 grants to organizations conducting pro-LGBT initiatives in Arkansas — and that the foundation will award additional grants in the coming weeks.

The grants are part of a $1 million fund that the Walton Family Foundation launched last year, and have been supplemented with additional funding from the Withrop Rockefeller Foundation.

According to a press release from Arkansas Community Foundation, grants are going to the following:

GranteePurpose
Arkansas Black Gay Men’s ForumTo host the Central Arkansas LGBTQ+ Awards and Little Rock Black Pride Festival
Arkansas Chapter American Academy of Pediatrics FoundationTo educate Arkansas pediatric health professionals on LGBTQ-friendly care and advocacy
Arkansas Humanities CouncilTo host a lecture series and panel discussions highlighting LGBTQ+ history and culture
Arkansas RAPPS, Inc.To establish a community wellness resource center in Little Rock
Central Arkansas Library System FoundationTo create a Gender and Sexualities Alliance (GSA) for teens and young adults
Central Arkansas PrideTo host the Kaleidoscope LGBTQ+ Film Festival
Club Z at Sweet HouseTo support basic needs, counseling and wraparound support for LGBTQ+ youth in the Fort Smith area
Equality CrewTo provide resources for LGBTQ+ youth and to conduct research on quality of life issues for LGBTQ+ youth
Eureka Springs Downtown Network/Main Street Eureka SpringsTo provide entrepreneurship training for LGBTQ+ artists and makers
Ferncliff Camp & Conference CenterTo provide scholarships for children and families to participate in Rainbow Family Camp
Foster LoveTo recruit, train and support foster families for LGBTQ+ foster children
Gay For GoodTo host inclusive events and volunteer service projects to increase LGBTQ+ visibility and build allies.
Good Shepherd Lutheran ChurchTo host camps and activities for queer youth and allies
The Transition ClosetTo provide gender-affirming clothing and accessories for transgender and non-binary Arkansans
Hot Springs AIDS Resource Center, Inc.To provide health education and support for individuals with HIV/AIDS in Southwest Arkansas
IntransitiveTo provide peer-to-peer support, outreach, advocacy and basic needs for transgender Arkansans
Legal Aid of ArkansasTo provide dedicated legal services for LGBTQ+ Arkansans
Lucie’s PlaceTo provide assistance with housing and basic needs for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults
NEA ProgressTo host Northeast Arkansas PRIDEfest
PowerHub, Inc.To conduct outreach, support and community-building activities for LGBTQ+ youth in the Batesville area
SpinsterhavenTo establish a nurturing outdoor space for meetings and events for LGBTQ+ individuals and allies

Many grants reportedly range between $25,000 to $150,000.

This is not the first time that the Walton Family Foundation has pushed a radically pro-LGBT agenda in Arkansas.

Besides funding pro-LGBT grants, the Walton Family Foundation also has opposed the Arkansas’ Save Adolescents From Experimentation Act in court.

The SAFE Act is a 2021 law that protects children in Arkansas from sex-reassignment procedures, puberty blockers, and cross-sex hormones.

Researchers do not know the long term effects puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones can have on kids. That is why many experts agree that giving puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones to children is experimental, at best.

The ACLU and others have filed a lawsuit to block the State of Arkansas from enforcing the SAFE Act, and the Walton Family Foundation is among those who have opposed the law.

Family Council will continue to monitor these pro-LGBT grant programs in the coming days.

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