Lesbian couple anger Christian group by opening same-sex fertility clinic

A lesbian couple from the Midlands have angered Christian faith groups after opening a same-sex fertility clinic in the region.

Natalie Drew and partner Ashling Phillips have launched the UK's first gay-only fertility clinic – entitled the Gay Family Web Fertility Centre – in Digbeth, Birmingham, this month.  

Yet Christian groups are now saying that the set-up discriminates against heterosexuals and that children raised by gay couples are disadvantaged. 

But the Home Office confirmed it's legally robust for a business to advertise itself as a same-sex fertility clinic – as long as they don't refuse to serve a heterosexual customer.

"The law is very clear: someone who is providing a service cannot refuse to serve somebody on the basis of their sexual orientation, but in this case they can market themselves as a same-sex fertility clinic," a spokesman told the Daily Mail newspaper.

"However, if a straight couple were to approach them for help, they would not be able to refuse to serve them."

Drew told the Daily Mail: "Most of the feedback we've had from gay women has shown bad experiences. A lot of the forms you fill out haven't been adapted so will refer to a husband. One lady we spoke to was having trouble conceiving, but she was told that she wasn't.

"Most of the GPs will try to be progressive, but they will refer to the person carrying the child and not the partner, which makes them feel excluded."

"Some couples were spending thousands of pounds going through the process and were no further forward,' Natalie added. "We wanted to set up something where we would act as a go-between and where couples could meet potential donors face-to-face to work out how they would work things out.