UK Parliament: Deaf Embryo selection to be made illegal

from this blog

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill is currently passing through parliament, and currently in its second reading in the House of Lords. A bill is proposed law that passes through parliament, to be debated (and amended) before it becomes law. i.e. an Act of Parliament.

Clause 14

This week debate touched on Clause 14 which states:

(9) Persons or embryos that are known to have a gene, chromosome or mitochondrion abnormality involving a significant risk that a person with the abnormality will have or develop—

(a) a serious physical or mental disability,
(b) a serious illness, or
(c) any other serious medical condition,

must not be preferred to those that are not known to have such an abnormality.

That means you aren't allowed to select a deaf embryo, and this has been confirmed as parliament's intention through the passage of this Bill (and could be used for statutory interpretation later).

House of Lords debate

Baroness Deech (Crossbench)

In the scientific field, the Bill confirms the wider use of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. That is good. I hope that your Lordships will be pleased that the deliberate choice of an embryo that is, for example, likely to be deaf will be prevented by Clause 14.

This prevents selection of an embryo if it is known to be born deaf. It does not prohibit selection on the basis that a child will be born hearing, and prefers it. Since genetic testing will be common place in the UK in future, you are hardly going to be able to leave things to nature and 'wait and see', if a child is born deaf or hearing.

Huge Implications on deaf fertilisation

This could have huge implications for families where there is a genetic trait of deafness. Say e.g. you have a deaf gene in your family, and for whatever reason needed assisted fertilisation in order to get pregnant. If the embryos developed were known be deaf, a female would not be allowed to be made pregnant by a deaf embryo, and a hearing embryo must always be picked. This could also mean that deaf people are prohibited from partaking in assistance with fertilisation (donation of eggs, sperm). Do you agree with this?

Parallels of past historical oppression

To me this starts to enter eugenics and what Alexander Graham Bell was advocating. A lesser form of sterlisation of deaf people, what was practiced in Nazi Germany, to prevent deaf pro-creation.

Who is objecting to this, or speaking on our behalf?

What the hell is anyone doing about this proposed legislation? If it is ignored, by summer 2008 this will on the statute books and will be law. Who exactly is protecting deaf interest here, and statements by politicians that we are not equal? All those deaf organisations who make millions "on behalf of us" are doing what exactly? Sound asleep in a coma? Too hearing controlled or damn scared to say anything, through fear of upsetting their funders, and other chartiable philanthropists? Deaf voice and protection of interests is where exactly?

Sources:
They Work for You
Hansard

Further Reading:
The Origins Of Nazi Genocide: From Euthanasia to the Final Solution, Henry Friedlander (Essay)
Crying Hands: Eugenics and Deaf People in Nazi Germany, Horst Biesold
Missing: Children of Germany's Deaf People
Alexander Graham Bell - Wikipedia

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This does not surprise me at all, it's plain eugenics like that of the Fascist 3rd Reich in Germany. Not only does it screw over the deaf and handicapped, but it also would prevent anyone that has genes that could cause heart disease or other health issues to not be able to have children through various forms of medical fertilization. Next thing you know, you won’t be allowed to have kids if you’re not “perfect”.

You could easily relate this atrocious legislation to the evils of capitalism. The last thing the ruling capitalist class wants is a worker who isn’t perfect. Someone who will have to have medical care or other special needs/services is the last thing that the rich and powerful elite who run this sick twisted show want.