May 30, 2022
#IdentityMatters #GeneticIdentity
DCAC receives non-profit designation on Genetic Identity Day
TORONTO – The Donor Conceived Alliance of Canada (DCAC) was formally granted non-profit status on Monday, affirming our role as the first organization to advocate for the rights and best interests of donor conceived people in Canada.
The incorporation comes on the International Day for the Right to Genetic Identity, and four years to the day of DCAC’s first calls for justice for donor conceived people in Canada, reiterating our desire to be a part of the conversation with the Canadian people about the ethics of third-party reproductive technologies and their implications for our community.
“Our mission remains the same, and we hope to build on our efforts to put an end to anonymous gamete donation once and for all, in creating a fairer playing field for all parties involved in donor conception,” said Kevin Martin, a director and co-founder of the DCAC.
The Donor Conceived Alliance is calling for provincial and federal jurisdictions to work together to renew their commitment to protecting the best interests and well-being of donor conceived people in Canada, as enshrined in the principles of the Assisted Human Reproduction Act. The Act has had minor updates in recent years but has a long way to go to catch up with the work being done in other countries around the world.
The Donor Conceived Alliance wants to see an official end to anonymous egg and sperm donation, recognizing that anonymity is no longer possible thanks to consumer DNA tests, like Ancestry and 23andme.
Time and time and again we have seen the writing on the wall: anonymous gamete donation is neither ethical or even possible in 2022 and we call on provincial governments to pass legislation that reflects reality and upholds the right to our genetic identity, a right guaranteed in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child of which Canada is a signatory.
“It is wrong for the fertility industry to dupe potential donors and recipient parents into thinking anonymous donor conception is still an option” said Sarah Primeau, another director and co-founder of the organization.
Canada continues to fall behind the industrialized world while other countries are passing legislation protecting the rights of donor conceived people.
We can and must do better.
As Canadians we cherish our single-payer healthcare system as a symbol of national pride and being a country that respects the diversity and experiences of all people. We can create a system that places ethics at the centre and provides adequate protection and resources for our community.
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