India’s LGBTI community has denounced a new surrogacy bill that would ban same-sex couples from hiring surrogates. The bill limits the practice to infertile couples who have been legally married in India for more than five years. On Wednesday (19 December), India’s lower of Parliament, the Lok sabh, passed the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill 2016. If passed by the upper house it would ban commercial surrogacy and allow only ‘altruistic surrogacy’ for heterosexual couples through a ‘close relative’. The bill also prohibits foreigners from the practice in India. Those breaking the law face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of Rs 10 Lakh ($14,900). Same-sex marriage is not legal in India. But, in September, the Supreme Court decriminalized gay sex. This, therefore, led to hopes of rising LGBTI acceptance.