A bill currently in Indiana would exclude lesbian and gay couples and single individuals from the use of assisted reproductive technology, including intrauterine insemination, egg or embryo donation and in vitro fertilization. The proposed regulations would require “intended parents” to be married (in a state that already has a ban on gay marriage), and specifically exclude unmarried people. Those who used assisted reproductive technology without going through these hoops could be charged with a Class B misdemeanor.
Betty Cockrum, president of Planned Parenthood of Indiana, described the proposed bill as “pretty chilling,” pointing out its connection to the future of Roe v. Wade in the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, “If we can’t decide when to terminate a pregnancy, some worry that government could tell us when we can choose to be pregnant.”
The bill was proposed by Senator Patricia Miller (R-Indianapolis), who is the chair of the Health Finance Commission, which will vote on recommending the legislation to the General Assembly on October 20. A ‘yes’ vote from the panel does not ensure passage, as the Assembly will next meet in January 2006, an election year in which politicians may steer clear of controversial measures. Others believe that the legislation’s discriminatory nature will make it likely to be overturned, should it even pass, reports the Associated Press.
