Sönke Siegmann, chairman of the Lesben und Schwulen in der Union (LSU), has called for a new debate within the CDU regarding altruistic surrogacy. Speaking to the “taz”, the CDU politician and Osnabrück district council member stated that the party must find a way to address all life realities. He questioned the current limitations, asking why biological parenthood should be excluded when a couple, regardless of their sexual orientation, has a friend who says, “I love you, and I’d be happy if you had a child. I would carry it for you.”
Regarding the resignation of Jens Spahn as the Union’s parliamentary group leader, Siegmann described it as consistent. He remarked that while Spahn was politically opposed to surrogacy, his private actions were different. Siegmann stated, “I can understand that on a human level, but politically it is wrong.”
However, Siegmann does not view homophobia as the sole reason behind the criticism directed at Spahn. He expressed confidence that if a heterosexual woman, in a position like Spahn’s, had acted the way he did, the criticism would have been similar. He argued that individuals cannot advocate for one thing while behaving differently privately.
Furthermore, Siegmann demanded fresh discussions on issues of parental rights and co-parenting. “All possibilities must and can be discussed-regardless of personal viewpoints,” he emphasized. The LSU is a special organization of the CDU, serving as an advocacy group for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, and queer individuals (LGBTQ+).
