Is Elton John’s Partner, David Furnish, Really A Mother?

[naomi24]

Germaine Greer has criticised Elton John for naming his husband David Furnish as the 'mother' on the birth certificates of their two sons.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-8739313/Germaine-Greer-slams-Elton-John-naming-husband-mother-sons-birth-certificates.html

David Furnish has hit back, telling her to mind her own business, but does she have a point? Does it make any sense at all to describe a man as a ‘mother’?

[ichkeria]

I’m not a fan of Germaine Greer and this reminds me why.

[Bobbisox1]

Naomi in the land of the super rich ,Elton and David will be seen as a beacon doing this
Personally? Utter stupidity

[chelle7272]

If it makes sense to them why is it our business?

[jno]

if one woman provides eggs and another carries the baby for nine months, who's the mother?

[naomi24]

jno, a woman.

[Bazile]

Ridiculous

[woofgang]

Is there a facility on birth certificates (or was there when therir children were registered) to name two fathers?

[jno]

naomi, one of Greeer's objections was that the "mother's" name would be kept off the birth certificate. I think it's reasonable to ask who exactly is being robbed in this fashion.

[Mozz71]

Surely birth certificate should name the couple as joint fathers. I do agree with David Furnish on one point though, Germaine Greer should mind her own business. What has it got to do with anybody else?

[Cloverjo]

Maybe there is no option for two fathers on the certificate.

[chelle7272]

The article says she is upset that the surrogate mother had to 'give up' her title (mother). But she was never the mother, she was a surrogate, and did it twice so I guess she doesn't mind too much. Why should anyone else.

[naomi24]

//she was never the mother, she was a surrogate//

?

[jno]

Mozz, I assume Greer is speaking up on behalf of females, as she's always done. But as mentioned this one doesn't seem to have a problem with not getting onto birth certificates.

Still, my original question was whether she also provided the eggs, as some surrogates do. I don't know the circumstances of these particular pregnancies.

But what happens with men who donate sperm - do they get listed as fathers?

[ladybirder]

She gave birth to the child of course she was the mother.

[HansUrbancka]

I wonder if the children call Elton...Dad...and David...Mam. ??

The whole thing is ridiculous. No male can ever be a mother or a female a father.

Hans.

[chelle7272]

//she was never the mother, she was a surrogate//

?

She agreed not to have a role as mother, if she had been surrogate for a male and female couple, this wouldn't be being discussed. Her role is no different in either situation.

[ichkeria]

If the woman doesn’t mind or care then why should anyone else.

I care more that people can’t spell “Eunuch”
But there you go ... :-)

[barry1010]

You can have two women registered as parents, too.

Germaine Greer is entitled to her opinion and she can rant all she likes but she didn't have to name David Furnish, Elton John or their children to do it. They are not the only couple to have two same sex parents on the birth certificate - if she has an issue about it, she doesn't need to name names to make her point.

[naomi24]

jno, whoever provided the eggs, it wasn't a man.

[chelle7272]

//She gave birth to the child of course she was the mother.//

She is not the biological mother.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1342346/Elton-Johns-baby-2-mothers-required-produce-heir.html