The gaybies are coming!

Like many of you, I have queer friends who are also parents. For these parents life can sometimes be a little more difficult than for their heterosexual counterparts. Besides the fact they are constantly being told by conservative politicians that their families are not as valid, or as ‘ideal’, as other families, there is also the scrutiny that comes in other areas of their day to day life.

I know a lesbian couple whose little boy liked to wear dresses. As we know cross-dressing kids are no new thing and these days most people accept it as nothing more than a child expressing themselves; that is unless of course that child happens to have gay or lesbian parents.

The couple I’m referring to were called in to their son’s school for a little chat about his choice of clothes. Not only were they told not to encourage their son’s ‘behaviour’ but it was also suggested that they throw all his dresses out.

Now where this story becomes even more horrendous is that another little boy at the same school was also fond of donning a frock. However, when one of the lesbian mum's approached his heterosexual parents asking if they had been called into the school they said no. Apparently it’s fine for a child of straight parents to wear a dress, but if that child comes from lesbian parents then surely something sinister is afoot.

A few years back the Herald Sun reported the story of a gay Melbourne couple who had apparently ‘ordered’ twin male babies via a surrogate in the US. Aside from the fact the storey was untrue, (the men had two children, a son and a daughter several years apart) what exactly was the journalist trying to imply by such a story?

Then of course there are the endless studies trying to show that gay and lesbian parents are just as fit to parent as anyone else. That their children do just as well in school, that they are well adjusted etcetera, etcetera.

With all of this judgement and scrutiny, one can only imagine what same-sex parents have to endure.

The other side of the story is the kids. One of Midsumma’s most exiting shows is Gaybies. This work, created by Dean Bryant, is a collection of real-life stories from children of same-sex parents. The stories have been turned into a script which will then be performed by actors. This issue we talk to Bryant about Gaybies and why it’s about time we heard what the kids of same-sex parents have to say.

We also catch up with the brilliant Judith Lucy about her new book, Drink, Smoke, Pass Out, and Garrett Bithell talks to the man of the moment, Mika.

Stay tuned for our upcoming 'Year in Review' and 'People to Watch' issues which will take us through the holiday break.

May you all have a wonderful Christmas!

Enjoy.