Blog

Taking Stock of 2018, Looking Forward to 2019

illustration of turning calendar page

With Thanksgiving just passed, and Christmas and the New Year fast approaching, we here at the CBC are taking stock of 2018 and looking forward to 2019 and beyond. One thing we know without a doubt is that the work we do would be impossible without your generous and faithful support! We are a small […]

Share
Stumble
Share
Pin
Read the full article →

#BigFertility: Selected for film festival, plus free on Amazon Prime!

Silicon Valley Film Festival official selection laurel

We are thrilled and honored to announce that #BigFertility: It’s All About the Money is an official selection for the 2018 Silicon Valley International Film Festival! The festival will take place Dec. 12-15, and we hope Kelly’s harrowing surrogacy story leaves a lasting impact on the filmmakers and tech professionals in attendance. We work tirelessly […]

Share
Stumble
Share
Pin
Read the full article →

#GivingTuesday for our Shared Human Future

world map with Giving Tuesday date

On this #GivingTuesday, we humbly ask that you consider supporting our work. While we can’t ignore that our work requires funding, we also recognize that advocacy takes a variety of forms. With that in mind, here are some ideas for how you can support the CBC through the gift of not just money, but time. […]

Share
Stumble
Share
Pin
Read the full article →

Happy Thanksgiving

Thumbnail image for Happy Thanksgiving

We at The Center for Bioethics Culture have much for which to give thanks. We are thankful for your faithful commitment to our work. We are humbled by and grateful for your ongoing support and encouragement. You make our work possible. We are also thankful for the other organizations with which we are privileged to […]

Share
Stumble
Share
Pin
Read the full article →

Some of the Most Important Work We Do

Thumbnail image for Some of the Most Important Work We Do

I am pleased to announce that Patrick T. Smith, Ph.D., will be the recipient of the 2019 Paul Ramsey Award for Excellence in Bioethics. Dr. Smith is Associate Research Professor of Theological Ethics and Bioethics; and Senior Fellow of the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University. Along with his appointment at the Divinity School, he is also […]

Share
Stumble
Share
Pin
Read the full article →

The Dangerous Effects of Surrogacy: A Review of “A Transnational Feminist View of Surrogacy Biomarkets in India”

by K. Blaine The structure of the surrogacy market does not enhance individual freedom. Surrogate mothers are willing to abide by the rules imposed by the clinic and the intended parents in their desperation to bring their families out of poverty. Imagine you live in India. You live in extreme poverty—poverty like most Americans have […]

Share
Stumble
Share
Pin
Read the full article →

Paul Ramsey Award Winner 2019

Thumbnail image for Paul Ramsey Award Winner 2019

The Center for Bioethics and Culture and the Paul Ramsey Award Nominating Committee are pleased to announce Patrick T. Smith, Ph.D., as the recipient of the 2019 Paul Ramsey Award for Excellence in Bioethics. Dr. Smith is Associate Research Professor of Theological Ethics and Bioethics; and Senior Fellow of the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University. Along […]

Share
Stumble
Share
Pin
Read the full article →

International Impact

hands holding globe

When we launched the #StopSurrogacyNow project in 2015, our goal was to bring together and mobilize a global group of women and men who understood the harms of surrogacy and who would work to end the practice of surrogacy entirely. One very important aspect of this worldwide work is making information about surrogacy as accessible […]

Share
Stumble
Share
Pin
Read the full article →

Watch #BigFertility with Me

Thumbnail image for Watch #BigFertility with Me

On Tuesday, October 30, I will be hosting a screening of our latest documentary film, #BigFertility, at the CBC offices. If you are in or near the Bay Area, please come and join us! We’ll have plenty of refreshments, we’ll watch the film, and there will be an opportunity for Q&A. This will be a […]

Share
Stumble
Share
Pin
Read the full article →

Surrogate Motherhood Does Not Create Relationships, It Tears Them Apart

statue of mother with child

Surrogacy does not serve human relationships. Surrogacy severs human relationships, which damages our shared human future. Karen, a friend who watches over the Facebook page for a film Jennifer Lahl and I made, “Anonymous Father’s Day,” recently posted a HuffPost Personal article titled, “I Chose To Be A Surrogate Mother. I Didn’t Know It Would Break My […]

Share
Stumble
Share
Pin
Read the full article →

On the Road to Take On #BigFertility

Thumbnail image for On the Road to Take On #BigFertility

It’s always nerve-racking to premiere your film on the Big Screen. We focus-group test our films as we’re making them, getting as much feedback as we can to consider the thoughts and reactions of a regular audience. Early on, we knew we’d have an uphill battle fighting against #BigFertility with the story of a three-time […]

Share
Stumble
Share
Pin
Read the full article →

What are People Saying about #BigFertility?

Thumbnail image for What are People Saying about #BigFertility?

I am so pleased with the response to our new film, #BigFertility: It’s All About The Money! At the premiere, audience comments included, “a complex issue but it’s hard to justify treating children as a commodities,” “I didn’t know how exploitative surrogacy was,” and “a gripping horror story.” We’ve also received a number of official […]

Share
Stumble
Share
Pin
Read the full article →

#BigFertility Now Available for Rent or Purchase

Thumbnail image for #BigFertility Now Available for Rent or Purchase

Today is the day! #BigFertility: It’s All About The Money is now available, worldwide, for rent or purchase. Watch (https://vimeo.com/ondemand/bigfertility) and Share (https://vimeo.com/ondemand/bigfertility) We have two requests: First, please watch the film. This is an important story of how the distorted version of fertility medicine that is #BigFertility preys upon people in need, and it […]

Share
Stumble
Share
Pin
Read the full article →

New Documentary Explores the Business of Big Fertility, Finds It’s All About The Money

Thumbnail image for New Documentary Explores the Business of Big Fertility, Finds It’s All About The Money

San Francisco, CA/Sept. 13, 2018 — Jennifer Lahl and The Center for Bioethics and Culture, producers of the award-winning Eggsploitation (2013), Anonymous Father’s Day (2011), and Breeders: A Subclass of Women? (2014), announce the theatrical premiere of their new documentary film #BigFertility. Like Big Tobacco and Big Pharma, Big Fertility is what happens when an […]

Share
Stumble
Share
Pin
Read the full article →

Are Mommies Safe? Maternal Morbidity and Mortality in the United States

Thumbnail image for Are Mommies Safe? Maternal Morbidity and Mortality in the United States

In July, Alison Young wrote a compelling piece for USA Today on maternal mortality in the United States. The article tagline alone would make any healthcare professional cringe: “Hospitals know how to protect mothers. They just aren’t doing it.” Ouch. I have to admit, as a labor and delivery nurse who genuinely cares about each […]

Share
Stumble
Share
Pin
Read the full article →

Support the CBC’s Worldwide Work

Thumbnail image for Support the CBC’s Worldwide Work

I hope your summer afforded you some rest and relaxation—time away from work to recharge your batteries is important for us all. We are, after all, truly human. No matter what the biotech enthusiasts envision for our future, thankfully, we are not machines! The gears were grinding away at CBC this summer as we finished […]

Share
Stumble
Share
Pin
Read the full article →

Newly Updated Resource

Thumbnail image for Newly Updated Resource

I’m really excited to share with you today a great, newly updated resource put together by our summer legal intern Lois. As you probably know from following our work, when it comes to surrogacy, the United States is a patchwork of laws. Some might describe it as a real mess. We’ve been tracking all of […]

Share
Stumble
Share
Pin
Read the full article →

Paul Ramsey Institute Scholar and Fellows Mark Ramsey’s Legacy

Thumbnail image for Paul Ramsey Institute Scholar and Fellows Mark Ramsey’s Legacy

August 3, 2018 – San Francisco, CA This year marks the 50th anniversary of Paul Ramsey’s delivery of the Beecher Lectures at Yale University, which led to the publication of one of the seminal bioethics texts, Ramsey’s The Patient as Person. In recognition of this important milestone, Paul Ramsey Institute Scholar Gilbert Meilaender and Ramsey […]

Share
Stumble
Share
Pin
Read the full article →

← Previous Entries