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Paper short abstract

This article presents the views of families who have resorted to surrogacy and the challenges they currently face in Spain, in order to protect the well-being of their children; in a context where surrogacy is subject to stigmatization and harassment by the state and the dominant feminist movement

Paper long abstract

Families formed through surrogacy face increasing challenges in Spain that threaten their dignity and well-being. Recent legal reforms and policy actions indicate an authoritarian shift within the Spanish democratic regime aimed at discouraging surrogacy. This includes the incorporation of rhetoric on the “reproductive exploitation” of women into legislative preambles, such as the abortion law, and the tightening in April 2025 of regulations governing the registration of children born through surrogacy abroad. These measures disregard public opinion, which is largely supportive of surrogacy, as well as the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights, which affirms that children born through legal surrogacy abroad must not be denied legal recognition in their parents’ country of nationality.

Unlike other European contexts where diverse positions coexist, Spanish feminist movements have largely adopted a unified opposition to surrogacy, while only a limited number of LGBTI associations engage openly in debate, contributing to internal tensions within social movements. This paper draws on a broader ethnographic study based on 29 semi-structured interviews with parents who have used surrogacy, documenting their perceptions of increasing discrimination. The discussion concludes by assessing the impact of these policies on families and on societal tolerance toward family diversity in Spain.