Beloved ABC series Playschool, currently celebrating its 50th year on the air, recently aired a segment in which a two sisters introduce their dad and dad, as part of its My Family Your Family series.
The segment – which shows the four swimming in a pool and doing yoga – is cute and heartwarming and shows that families come in many different varieties, so of course, the Australian Christian Lobby are bloody furious.
Per reports in the Star Observer, the ACL’s Wendy Francis went full Helen Lovejoy when she saw the segment, concerned about the effect that a family with two loving gay dads might have on impressionable youngsters.
In a statement, the ACL accused the ABC of exposing children to “controversial political and social agendas”, and added:
“Parents and grandparents should not be forced to explain to little children how it is that two men come to have a baby. As a grandmother I find it disappointing that the ABC is seeking to include rainbow politics for toddlers when millions of their parents do not agree with redefining marriage in law. The ABC should also not assume that producing children through harvested eggs and a rented or donated woman’s womb to meet the desires of two men is a public good. As ACL warned in February this year, Play School is not the place for the ABC to run agendas … particularly as this is a taxpayer-funded program that should refrain from pushing confusing adult messaging to our children. Parent’s (sic) shouldn’t be forced to have adult conversations about sexuality and bioethics with their kids at such a young age and it certainly should not be the government broadcaster raising the subject with them.”
Scott Williams of Rainbow Families said that it was “disappointing, but not altogether surprising” that the ACL would take Playschool‘s gesture as some kind of political attack. He added:
“Yesterday’s episode once again showcased the wonderful diversity of Australian society, [featuring] a normal Australian family which just happens to have two dads.”
Last year, the Australian documentary Gayby Baby, about the children of same-sex parents, faced similar attacks, with the usual suspects accusing schools of “promoting a gay lifestyle” by screening it, and News Corp running a front-page attack.
At the time, Penny Wong defended the film from criticism, and noted the pressure that many LGBTI children themselves face in schools, saying:
“A recent Australian survey of LGBTI young people showed that 64% of young people had been verbally abused, 18% had been physically abused and 16% had attempted suicide. Behind these statistics are stories of deep personal hurt. The young people and the teachers who work to reduce harm in our schools deserve support, not condemnation.”
Source: Star Observer.
Photo: ABC iView.
