Gay parents' lives 'destroyed' by surrogate mother in Thailand

This week, a gay couple took the surrogate mother of their child to court in a custody battle that has kept them trapped in Thailand for over a year. The couple say their lives have been “destroyed” since the surrogate found out their sexual orientation and decided she wanted to keep the baby.

According to The Telegraph, Gordan Lake, an American and Manuel Valero, his Spanish husband - both 41 - have been unable to leave the country with Carmen, the baby girl, because the surrogate has refused to sign the documents that allow the infant to obtain a passport.

"It's the day we've been waiting for - for a long, long time. Today is one of the most important days of our lives," Mr Lake said outside Bangkok's Juvenile and Family Court. "The court should give us custody of Carmen because it's the right thing to do."

Mr Lake is Carmen's biological father, while the egg came from an anonymous donor and not from Patidta Kusolsang, the Thai surrogate.

When Carmen was born, Mrs Kusolsang handed the baby over to the couple, who left the hospital with the infant. But, they say, she then changed her mind and refused to sign the required documents reportedly claiming she was unaware they were gay. However, Lake claims that he had been clear with her and the surrogacy agency from the outset that he and his partner are gay.

“She originally said that we weren’t an “ordinary” family and that she worried for Carmen’s upbringing,” said Lake in a Towleroad report. “Then there were many other excuses and allegations including that we were involved with human trafficking.  Finally we have discovered that our surrogacy agreement maybe have been a plot for her to have a mixed-race baby.”

The couple has been living in hiding in Thailand ever since, fearing their baby will be taken from them.

"We're the people that wanted to have a child. We just want to go home and we just want to be a family. A normal boring family," said Lake.

The case is complex because Thailand does not allow for same-sex marriage. Additionally, a new law banning commercial surrogacy took effect after baby Carmen was born. 

Testimony from both sides is scheduled to end March 31.

Towleroad and The Telegraph contributed to this report.

The Gayly- 3/25/2016 @ 11:47 AM CST