“Gayby Baby” We are real, we are here and we will be heard.

Almost 2 years ago now we were approached by a lovely lady seeking to film a movie about the lives of young children growing up with gay parents. Maya described their desire to give the children of this next generation a voice to be heard and a forum to tell their stories. The idea brought tears to my eyes. So many people have opinions on same sex families, in person and in the media, to give these kids a chance to speak was simply a magical idea.

Sadly we had to decline involvement in the film, but since then I’ve watched and waited eagerly anticipating the final product.

When the first version of “Gayby Baby” appeared on ABC TV last year we sat and watched it together as a family, our son and his two dads.

Of course, I cried. Our son was quiet, he watched, he smiled and he laughed. At the end I asked him what he thought.

“It’s nice to know we’re normal, like, there are other families like us. Those kids seem cool.”

In the years since he’d become our son it was a fantastic opportunity to him to connect with other families like ours, even at a distance. There are no words to describe what it’s like as parents to sometimes feel so disconnected and isolated from the GLBTIQ and heterosexual community when you feel like your family is so uncommon. To see it projected on screen, knowing that the rest of the country may seem, understand and connect was heartwarming.

Fast forward to a year or more later and today the same film was making me cry, for a different reason. Knowing the full film was due for release I’ve been quite excited to see the attention it would be getting and this morning I was greeted with this headline and accompanying cartoon. I was speechless.

A Sydney school, celebrating a week of diversity and acceptance, was planning to show this incredibly heartwarming and inspiring film to their students. However there was an “uproar,” apparently. In the hours that passed the NSW Minister for education banned the school (and any in NSW) from screening the film, backed by the premier. 
Interestingly enough, it was later revealed that no complaints were made about the intended screening. 

I’ve been left in tears this evening, reading over the news, gutted by a government bent on denying my family the right to acknowledgement and acceptance of our existence. How can children of same sex families expect to wake up tomorrow and hold their heads high attending school knowing they have just been nationally shamed by the government, sidelined as a political plaything not right for consumption for the young?

As a former teacher and as any student will tell you, school days are interrupted day in and day out for every number of celebration weeks. From book week to multicultural week, not to mention safety weeks complete with demonstrations from the Morcombe foundation. For the minister for education to say these students shouldn’t have their class time taken up by a film demonstrating love, diversity, tolerance and acceptance, during a week designed to promote just that, is just ridiculous. Their accusations that the film is playing any form of politics is absurd, the politics at play here are those of a government manipulated by the right wing christian conservatives.

As a father in a same sex family I want my child to know his family matters. I want other children and families in the community to know that families like ours exist. I want other children when our son says “I have two dads” to know exactly what that means and to accept him. Films like “Gayby Baby” are intended to have a wonderful and positive effect on our community and should be celebrated.

The students at the school who have received all the attention today have put forward a statement today, which again made me cry.
“We consider ourselves leaders in the push for equality and acceptance – for all people.
When it is considered that the LGBTIQ community has the highest rates of suicide of any population in Australia and experience significantly higher rates of mental health issues, we consider our support to be just one small step in creating better understanding in the community.”

There is change ahead, there is hope and love that lie in the next generation, in that we can take great pride. We can only know that the archaic politicians that reside in parliament, controlled and manipulated by those whose votes they seek to win will fade. Their opinions will cease to matter and so will they.

But what can we do? We can take this moment and make this film the most watched film of the year. That’s what we can do.
The Gayby Baby Facebook Page is the place to go for more information on screenings around the country. Can’t find one near you? Contact them and organise a screening for your local area. Contact your local MP and invite them to your screening, contact your child’s school and request a screening. Make sure no child is left feeling like their family isn’t normal.

*This article was later picked up by ABC Brisbane for the Breakfast Program, the full audio file can be found HERE