Gaby Baby
A film about same-sex families told by the kids.
As the marriage equality debate rages around the world, it’s become clear that there is a voice missing from the discussion: the voice of the kids. Australia is in the midst of a Gayby-boom. Twenty-four percent of gay and lesbian couples are now raising a child and their queer spawn are invisibly roaming Australian streets and schools.
2015 Pitch
Funds raised: $20,150
Maya Newell, director of Gayby Baby, pitched and raised $20,150 of facilitated through The Funding Network, which oversaw the development, writing and design of the Gayby Baby School Action Toolkit.
The impact...
“We all need narratives that reflect our lives,” said Maya Newell, director of Gayby Baby, when she pitched to The Funding Network in April last year. “For us gaybies, we need stories that are not just about fighting for our rights, but ones that are about our characters, our laughter and our mistakes, even our conversations around the dinner table.” In short, Maya, alongside producer Charlotte Mars, want to show Australia that diverse families - families that are often excluded and sometimes demonised in Australia - are simply normal.
Maya and Charlotte’s documentary about the lives of ‘gaybies’ - the children of same-sex parents - gained a high profile when it was banned from screening in NSW schools after complaints by conservative religious groups. The toolkit developed with funds raised is Australia’s first comprehensive education resource that depicts same-sex parented families and explores family diversity, delivered as part of PDHPE/Health and Physical Education classes. A ‘Family Diversity’ poster that reflects the wide range of Australian families has also been created and distributed for schools to hang in classrooms. As of 17 May, over 350 kits have been downloaded by educators.
The School Action Toolkit will make it much easier to achieve same-sex family awareness in schools, and importantly, make gaybies feel welcome, and normal. Ebony Rose, who features in the Gayby Baby film, spoke at a launch of the School Action Toolkit, and had this to say: “The school action kit is more than just a step in spreading this film. It's about teaching kids like me that their family is worthy of acknowledgment. It's about seeing a representation of your own family and remembering you aren't alone. It's about showing kids that all love is equal, all families are equal and all children regardless of their family, sexual orientation or gender identity are equal… And I'm proud to be apart of the generation which teaches this to our children.”
Read their Impact Report
Learn more about Gaby Baby.
Supporting Sustainable Development Goal:
