Australian Children’s Show to Feature Gay Dads

Now in its 50th year, ABC TV’s Play School is the longest-running children’s television show in Australia. Producers of the show are now scouting for five to seven-year-olds for the “through the windows” segment of the show, which will examine different types of families in Australian society. One of the families the television shows wants to include is a family comprised of two gay fathers.

In an interview with Guardian Australia, executive producer Jan Stradling expressed her excitement about the new families that will be featured during the segment:

“We’re really excited about the "My Family, Your Family" segments. The idea is to reflect current Australian society by showing a range of family structures and backgrounds. In these stories, we explore the relationships and bonds of a family. We will look at how they care for one another and share experiences, roles and responsibilities. All of these factors are common aspects that promote a sense of belonging for a child regardless of family type.”

This wouldn’t be the first time the children’s show welcomed a family with same-sex parents. In 2004 the show first featured a girl with lesbian mothers, which caused public outcry and debate in Australian parliament. But since then attitudes towards same-sex parents and gay marriage have changed in Australia, allowing Play School more freedom to showcase diverse family groups.

Stradely continued:

“The conversation has definitely evolved. While there are still many families with mum, dad and two kids, there is also a significant and growing number of blended families, same-sex parents, single parents, grandparents as primary carers, and many more. We don’t see this as anything controversial, just a reflection of contemporary Australian life. We want preschool children from across the community to be able to see themselves as part of this very special show.”