Queensland Premier joins Victoria and NSW Labor leaders in supporting Gayby Baby

Queensland Premier joins Victoria and NSW Labor leaders in supporting Gayby Baby
Image: Queensland Premier Anastacia Palaszczuk (Image source: ABC TV)

THE Queensland Premier has joined her Labor counterparts in Victoria and NSW in declaring her support for the upcoming documentary about the lives of children with same-sex parents, Gayby Baby.

Premier Anastacia Palaszczuk has told the Star Observer that such a film is representative of what an “inclusive society” needs in 2015.

[showads ad=MREC]“I haven’t seen the film, but I understand it’s an informative documentary that calls for tolerance and understanding,” Palaszczuk told the Star Observer.

“This is 2015. We need to be an inclusive society. The reality is there are thousands of same sex couples in modern society, and many of those couples have children of their own.”

On the back of yesterday’s negative coverage courtesy of a front-page story and opinion piece in Sydney’s Daily Telegraph, the NSW Education Minister Adrian Piccoli banned the screening of the film at schools during class hours “to not impact on the delivery of planned lessons”.

“During school hours we expect them to be doing maths and English and curriculum matters,” Piccoli told 2GB Radio.

“This movie is not part of the curriculum and that’s why I’ve made that direction.”

NSW Premier Mike Baird defended the actions of his minister, saying there should be “parameters” placed around tolerance.

“I think tolerance is a good thing. But I think there should be some parameters around it,” he told the media yesterday.

“This is something that can be provided but done outside class time.”

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews took to social media this morning to condemn the NSW government for their perceived overreaction to the story – that was later revealed to be a beat up by the Daily Telegraph by The Guardian – and state his support for the film and LGBTI inclusivity.

Andrews said he had seen the documentary with his family and called the controversy surrounding it “cruel rubbish”.

“But apparently the NSW government thinks it’s all too confusing and distressing a subject for high school students,” he said.

“I’m getting really sick of this stuff.”

According to reports 15 schools across Victoria will be screening the documentary to students, some during class time and, like Burswood Girls High School, at special events outside school hours.

Earlier this afternoon NSW Opposition Leader Luke Foley added his support for the film and said its ban “has sent a dreadful, heartless message to the many LBGTI families who enrich our tolerant, diverse state”.

“At the end of the day, our children need to live their lives in loving families free of discrimination – and every family deserves our respect,” he said.

On a federal level, Liberal Education Minister Christopher Pyne has also indicated his support for Gayby Baby.

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3 responses to “Queensland Premier joins Victoria and NSW Labor leaders in supporting Gayby Baby”

  1. Unethical, immoral and we are degrading all the fabric that society is held together by. The family unit. No wonder hiv aids is at its highest!! I wonder why. Stupid decisions based on self gratification.

  2. It is most unfortunate that the preoccupation with sex has spilled into our Education system. The film presents an imbalanced view of children’s experiences in gay settings. Many have told of unhappy childhoods. Shaping children’s minds for life skills falls far short with curriculum modeled on such data. It is a manipulative approach to trend a one-sided agenda and parents will exit public school system with this content imposed on them.

  3. Queensland has the WORST LGBTI rights record in Australia!

    * Still an unequal age of consent set at 18 for anal sex, but for vaginal and oral sex it is 16;
    * The gay panic defence has still not been abolished (SA is the only other place in Australia to have one);
    * No expungement scheme on criminal records for consensual gay sex prior to 1991;
    * No Civil partnerships, the Neman Government repealed them and made them a “relationship register”; and
    * Adoption by same-sex couples is still not allowed.