Ms Rachel Rowley-Smith:

If I may make a quick comment on language, everybody is very different. Personally, and from other people to whom I have spoken, my birth mother is my birth mother because she is maternally linked to me and gave birth to me. My mum and dad, however, are my mum and dad because, to me, the titles "mum" and "dad" are earned. One can technically become a parent. In many cases, it is quite easy to become a parent, but that does not automatically mean one earns the titles "mum" and "dad". Some people say to me, "Oh, you have two mums." I say I do not, and I am happy to correct them because education is key and many people do not ask questions because they are scared of offending somebody. I am not offended. I want to educate people. I say, "No, she is my birth mother, but they are my mum and dad." I would never be offended. We need to talk about this, as we are all doing, to educate people. Language is important, whether in gender or surrogacy, and we need to educate people.