TV channel rebuked over 'Play School' lesbians

by ignored_one 3 Replies latest social current

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  ignored_one

  http://news.independent.co.uk/world/australasia/story.jsp?story=527993

  TV channel rebuked over 'Play School' lesbians

  By Kathy Marks in Sydney

  04 June 2004

  For people raised in Britain, Play School evokes innocent memories of Humpty, Hamble and Jemima, the rag doll. In Australia, the television show for pre-schoolers has earned the wrath of the conservative government for portraying a little girl and her two lesbian mums.

  Daryl Williams, the Communications Minister, sent a letter of rebuke to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation after the programme aired a story about the girl going to a fair. "I'm Brenna. That's me in the blue. My mums are taking me and my friend Meryn to an amusement park," the girl said, over images of her mothers waving.

  Mr Williams said he had instructed the matter to be raised with the the broadcaster's governing board. "The government understands parents would expect a programme like Play School to deal with issues which are appropriate for the age of its audience," he said. Larry Anthony, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, accused ABC of promoting the views of a minority. "When it comes to my children, when I want to explain about same-sex couples ... it should be up to me, not the broadcaster," he said.

  The head of ABC children's television, Claire Henderson, said: " Play School aims to reflect the diversity of Australian children."

  The row has exposed the cultural divisions in Australia, a country that stages one of the world's most exuberant Gay Mardi Gras parades in Sydney but is headed by John Howard, a prime minister, who embraces the values of the 1950s. He announced legislation to ban same-sex marriages last week.

  Brian Greg, a senator with the opposition Australian Democrats, said: "I would hate to see us turn the clock back to a time when minorities were censored from Australian television, as Aborigines and Asians and people with disabilities were."

  I suppose had it been just a single mum it would have been A-ok.

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  Ignored One.
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  Bubbamar

  "I would hate to see us turn the clock back to a time when minorities were censored from Australian television, as Aborigines and Asians and people with disabilities were."

  Sad thing is that it wouldn't really be turning the clock back. It happens all the time.

  They don't seem to have the sensitivity to understand that children of gay parents need to see themselves as "normal" or mainstream and TV shows like that can help. Children can be mean and they need to be taught about other cultures/lifestyles, etc. We obviously can't leave that job up to the parents. What is meant to be an attack on gays is really an attack on children. That's a sad thing.
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  ozziepost

  They don't seem to have the sensitivity to understand that children of gay parents need to see themselves as "normal"

  Trouble is, the children of "normal" households would see it as de riguer.

  What may not be apparent to our north american commentators is that the TV channel concerned (ABC) is renowned for promoting gay and lesbian lifestyles. It itself is largely run by the homosexual community in Sydney.
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  Cicatrix

  A couple of years ago here in the US there was an uproar over a show for children called the "Teletubbies." A faction of the religious right claimed that the show was a conspirancy to introduce homosexuality to toddlers via a male character who carried around a purse. Not having children in that age range, I'd never seen the show. My sister told me about the uproar, which she thought was the stupidest thing she'd ever heard (her kids watch it all the time).
  
  Also, there was the whole "Murphy Brown" debate. The show featured a single woman who chose to have a child. There was a minor uproar over that from the religious right.
  
  My advice to parents who don't want their kids to see a loving same sex couple raising their child-TURN THE CHANNEL!