It hopes to 'introduce' lesbian couples, wishing to become parents, to potential sperm donors. The site promises that the whole process will be carried out with absolute anonymity.

Mannotincluded.com founder John Gonsales explains: "I have believed for a long time that same-sex couples have a fundamental right to have children. This right has been denied through bureaucracy and prejudice for too long. Mannotincluded.com fulfils this need and provides lesbian couples with a safe and secure way to achieve the family environment that they are entitled to."

This is how mannotincluded.com works: A lesbian couple registers as a sperm recipient. The couple can now access an online database of sperm donors at the site and shortlist three. An online advisor will then help the couple to zero in one of the three chosen donors by answering any background questions that the couple may have. Once a decision has been made, the sperm will be delivered to the couple for home insemination or the entire process can take place at one of the London clinics that mannotincluded.com is in the process of tying up with.

Mannotincluded.com is very categorical about being just an 'introduction service' and their fee will cover the introduction process, not covering medical services, sperm testing or clinic fees. Initial registration will cost £80. Donor details search will cost £25 and an introduction to the donor is pegged at £400.

There are, of course, many important questions that remain unanswered on the site. For example, what are the details that are revealed to a recipient about a donor while maintaining his identity? Or what kind of background checks will they be conducting on the donor to ensure that no incorrect information is provided? The current FAQ section is perhaps still under construction.

Mannotincluded.com does not, however, discount the possibility of others using this service by saying that if approached by a single lesbian or a heterosexual couple, they would consider each case individually.

There is a possibility of this service being available in other countries. "Once launched in the UK, mannotincluded.com will forge partnerships in other countries so that lesbian couples have access to this service worldwide," says a company release.

While male homosexuality is an offence in India under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, it does not apply to lesbians. However, the law is misused by people of authority like parents and police to terrify lesbian and bisexual women, according to lesbian activist Geeta Kumana.

So what would happen if a lesbian couple tried to have a baby via artificial insemination in India? Geeta explains, "Right now if a lesbian couple wants to have a child one partner can adopt a child as a single mother. As far as sperm donations are concerned, the process would be the same as it is for a single woman."

This means that even if a lesbian couple in India did go in for artificial insemination, only one of the partners could apply and have the baby, while the other would have absolutely no right over the child.

"A lesbian couple has no rights to partnership at all. So, even if the lesbian couple have been living together for 35 years, when one dies, the immediate family of the deceased can claim her property leaving the lesbian partner with nothing," explains Geeta.

She is not very excited by the idea of something as liberating as mannotincluded.com accessible to Indians online. Geeta says, "On one hand, homosexuality is a crime. On the other, you are allowing lesbians access to sperm donations with their partners. Quite complicated and not too practical as yet."

Another important question that Geeta asks is what happens in the eventuality that one side of the party wants more details. For example, what if a donor wants to know the identity of the recipient couple at some stage during the process. In fact, a recent article also shows that the public is in favour of children of sperm donors being given more information.

Currently, the site is calling for donors and recipients worldwide, though it gives no details as to how it will handle a case outside the UK. For instance, if a lesbian couple in Russia wants sperm from a donor in China, how will the logistics of such a demand be handled? The site draws a blank in this scenario.

An email sent as a donor applicant from India received this response: 'Your pre-registration has been accepted, and we will contact you by email as soon as we go live.'

Rediff Guide to the Net called mannotincluded.com's offices in London and emailed questions to which answers are not available immediately.

The Register reports that 5,000 sperm donors and 3,000 lesbian couples have already signed up for the service. Mannotinlcuded.com will also be covering their first case study couple on Monday, July 15.

In India, mannotincluded.com will not be very useful unless the laws are reviewed as this report suggests.

But Geeta ends on an optimistic note: "Once 377 IPC is read down, or repealed, and homosexuality is not a crime anymore and our partnership rights have been acknowleged, yes, this service would be of great help to lesbians who want to have babies together."

Links:
-- mannotincluded.com
-- Section 377, IPC
-- Geeta Kumana
-- Should sperm donors be anonymous?
-- Lesbian sperm bank site proves popular
-- India examines abolishing anti-gay laws