Elton John’s health is deteriorating. Here’s one big reason we should care, by Doug Mainwaring.

Elton John reportedly spent ten days in a hospital following a couple days in intensive care battling a serious, potentially life-threatening infection. … This is only the most recent in a series of illnesses which have caused the performer to cancel gigs around the world.

In 2013, after emergency surgery for appendicitis, the now 70-year-old John told the Daily Telegraph, “This is a wake-up call. I’m 66 not 36 anymore . . . I want to spend more time with my children.”

Huh? What children? Hasn’t he been gay forever?

Modern medical technology and the normalization of third party reproduction have enabled gay men and anyone else who cares to—no matter what their age—to become biological parents.  At the same time, despite ongoing medical advances, keeping older men alive while their bodies are deteriorating is still, to put it crudely, a bit of a crap shoot. …

Sir Elton John was 63 years old when his first child was born through surrogacy and 65 at the birth of his second. His partner, David Furnish, was 48 and 50. …

The engineering of children through gamete purchase and surrogacy — womb rental — currently falls under no such restrictions. It is a booming industry with lots of money to be made, akin to the wild, wild west or the California gold rush. …

Society’s recent quick evolution on matters relating to marriage and children is reflected in the evolution of Sir Elton John’s own thought, as his views on both gay marriage and gay parenting have changed substantially over the last decade.

In 2008, he said that civil partnerships — not marriages — were more appropriate for gays. And as recently as 2012, John said, “It’s going to be heartbreaking for [our child] to grow up and realise he hasn’t got a mummy.”

Third party reproduction is a boon for infertile parents, but not so much for children brought into the world in that manner.  Greater government scrutiny and regulation is needed in order to bring it into line with current adoption regulations.

For wealthy white gay males such as John and Furnish, there are no rules, only endless opportunities to acquire children.

hat-tip Stephen Neil