Italy has passed a sweeping new law banning overseas surrogacy, targeting the growing trend of LGBT couples using foreign surrogate mothers to have children. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government has taken a strong stand against the practice, which critics argue exploits women and reduces children to commodities.

The law, which imposes fines of up to $1 million and potential prison sentences, closes a loophole that allowed Italian citizens to engage in surrogacy arrangements abroad, sidestepping Italy’s long-standing ban on the practice. While the law applies to all Italians, many see it as specifically targeting gay and transgender couples who have increasingly turned to surrogacy to start families.

Meloni, who describes herself as a Christian mother, has defended the law, stating that children should be raised in traditional households with both a mother and a father. Her administration believes that surrogacy, particularly when used by LGBT couples, is a form of exploitation and leads to children being treated as social media props rather than as individuals deserving of stable, loving homes.

Opponents of the law have called it discriminatory, arguing that it unfairly targets LGBT individuals. However, supporters argue that the law protects both women and children, citing studies that suggest children raised in traditional families fare better in life.

As Italy faces a declining birthrate, some have suggested that allowing more surrogacy could help address the population crisis. But the Meloni government has chosen a different path, focusing on promoting traditional family structures rather than expanding surrogacy as a solution to the nation’s demographic challenges.