“You know, but you don’t know” – Albert Frantz (concert pianist, entrepreneur, social justice advocate, Vienna) on being a donor conceived child and identity as a human right. AFCC series

“You know, but you don’t know” – Albert Frantz (concert pianist, entrepreneur, social justice advocate, Vienna) on being a donor conceived child and identity as a human right. AFCC series.

• Albert’s personal history as a donor conceived child.
• Sperm donation in the 1970’s.
• Identity as a human right – the rights of a child and open sourcing of identity.
• Psychological impact of growing up not knowing one’s biological family: “I fell from the sky”.
• Existential debt – expectation that donor conceived people and also adopted people should be perpetually “grateful”.
• “Here’s a common theme amongst donor conceived people; you know even when you don’t know.”
• “Nobody is actually keeping track, nobody even knows exactly how many donor conceived people are out there and whether they know that they are donor conceived and for that reason it is impossible to conduct proper studies on this.”
• “But there is a lot of anecdotal evidence from adopted and donor conceived people saying that there are significant psychological and emotional issues surrounding identity and who are we and where do we belong in this world.”
• “Still is this feeling of being rootless. And it is probably impossible to describe what that feeling is unless you experience it.”
• “You can be grateful for your life and the parents who raised you and there can still be a gaping hole that you need to fill in because of this fundamental, existential uncertainty that you have about who you are.”
• Bio ethics issues.
• Albert’s personal views about sperm donor conception and surrogacy in different circumstances.
• Albert’s Jewish heritage and the significance of this living in Vienna.
• Birthrights that Albert feels have been taken from him.
• Albert’s career as a concert pianist and his wondering about where this talent came from.
• Nature vs nurture.