“A news crew came to the house in the early days… they just wanted some general footage… This is what a lesbian looks like when a lesbian puts the kettle on. This is what a lesbian looks like pouring a cup of tea …. Then we had to pretend to drink the tea.”

Writer, trainer, and advocate – Jac Tomlins has been a leading force in the LGBTIQ community & rainbow families, often sharing her own story back when there was little to none in the mainstream media.

We spoke to Jac Tomlins about raising children in a rainbow family, the lack of representation of rainbow families, the support guides she’s written for Rainbow Families & her new book, The Curse of Grandma Maple – a story about kids who just happen to have two mums.

The Curse of Grandma Maple is a story about a bunch of kids who leave the adults behind and head off to test themselves against the Canadian wilderness.

It’s about challenge and fear and how sometimes you have no choice but to face that fear. It’s about wanting to do the right thing, but sometimes stuffing up. It’s about siblings and cousins and having each other’s back.

And, coincidentally, there are two mums hovering at the edges of the story just doing what mums do – you know, worrying, interfering, being annoying – but occasionally coming good by saying Yes when it really matters.

The book launches of Sunday, 24 November. After the launch, copies will be available via Jac’s website.

This Family Matters podcast episode was produced by Bec Dahl, Partner at Nicholes Family Lawyers

The post The ‘write’ stuff – Jac Tomlins appeared first on Family Matters.

We sat down for an intimate chat with father, husband, advocate & out and proud Essendon supporter Jason Tuazon-Mcheyne to discuss life as a ‘gay dad.’

Follow more of Jason’s great work as Executive Director of The Equality Project Australia 

This Family Matters podcast episode was produced by Bec Dahl, Partner at Nicholes Family Lawyers

The post Heart-to-heart with Jason Tuazon-McCheyne appeared first on Family Matters.

‘A remarkable document of an Australian civil rights landmark and a moving testament to the ferocity of parental love.’ – Benjamin Law

About a Girl – Rebekah Robertson, founder of Transcend and proud mother of trans advocate Georgie Stone and her twin brother Harry, has written a book which chronicles the journey of raising Georgie and Harry through the medical, legal, educational and interpersonal hurdles they encountered along the way.

Part memoir and part inspirational message of hope for those navigating a similar path, About a Girl is a thought-provoking and profoundly moving true story – on sale 3 September 2019

We had the pleasure of chatting with Rebekah and Georgie to discuss this honest and emotional ‘must have’ book.

The post About a Girl – Rebekah Robertson & Georgie Stone appeared first on Family Matters.

 Author and cartoonist Kaz Cooke joins the team to discuss her latest parenting book – Babies & Toddlers.

All the latest information re crying, sleeping, breastfeeding, bottle-feeding, tantrums (theirs & yours) birthday parties, green poo & much more for taking care of our little humans.

The post Babies & Toddlers – latest parenting guide by Kaz Cooke appeared first on Family Matters.

GOING POSTAL: WRITINGS FROM THE MARRIAGE EQUALITY SURVEY

Whether you are ‘gay, straight, black, or white’—or beyond reductive binaries—this edited collection guides the reader through the highs and lows of the marriage equality postal vote. Combining serious scholarship, humour, manifestos, and simple tales of childhood, readers are flung into the emotional melting pot that constitutes a definitive turning point in Australian queer histories. These feelings are sticky and sometimes traumatic, but there is also catharsis in this compilation. This is also a counter-archive, one that consciously amplifies some of the voices that were drowned out by dominant campaigns, including those that questioned the value of marriage as a patriarchal institution or resisted the ‘we are just like you’ discourses that obscured complex families and queer ways of loving.

Family Matters were joined by editor, Son Vivienne, to discuss the upcoming release of Going Postal.

Son Vivienne is a Post-Doctoral Researcher at Creative Agency@RMIT and the Digital Ethnography Research Centre. Son is also involved in community development and arts as an activist, workshop facilitator and media-maker. Son is author of Digital Identity and Everyday Activism: Sharing Private Stories with Networked Publics and co-author/co-editor of Negotiating Digital Citizenship: Control, Contest, Culture.

Upcoming events in Melbourne:

’Letting kids be kids’

The post GOING POSTAL: MORE THAN ‘YES’ OR ‘NO’ appeared first on Family Matters.

Ever considered being a surrogate and wanting to know what’s really involved?

Hear from Amanda and husband Brent who were a surrogate not once but twice for a gay couple.

They discuss their decision to assist their best friends Michael & Terry, the conversations with their own school aged children, their hospital birth experience and navigating the expectations and attitudes of others.

More information:

Under the Assisted Reproductive Treatment Act 2008, to be eligible to receive treatment as a surrogate from a registered ART clinic, a surrogate must:

All parties, including you as the surrogate and your partner (if any), must also undertake counselling and obtain independent legal advice.

For more information head to VARTA

Catch up with our interview with Michael & Terry who discuss their domestic surrogacy journey and the conversations with their children about where they came from.

The post Thinking of being a surrogate? appeared first on Family Matters.

Family Matters are joined by the author of a new kids picture book, Same but different Too, Chris Laxton-Badley.

The picture book is about same sex couples with adopted children through social services while educating its readers about different types of families.

Chris joins us with husband Sean to discuss the book and their parenting journey.

About Chris: While born and raised in Melbourne Australia, Chris met his partner Sean in England on a backpacking adventure, where they fell in love before moving back to Melbourne.

After ten long years an starting to feel detached from Australia they decided to move back to England. In that time they discussed starting a family and felt adoption was a great way forward for them. It wasn’t long until they were placed with a sibling group of three children who transformed and enriched their existence in many ways.

Five years later, the now married couple decided they would like to raise their children in Melbourne Australia. This book is about same sex couples with adopted children through social services while educating its readers about different types of families.

Same but different Too: The Colourful Life  Kobi is back with another great story to tell. However this time it’s not about his family, it’s about his friend’s family.  Lee is Kobi’s friend and he is multi-heritage just like Kobi. Lee is adopted and he has two dads.  This book explores different types of families and provides the reader with some examples of how families can be different, while also having some things in common.  Lee and his classmates learn to accept that families can be the same, but different, and every family deserves respect.

The post Rainbow Families – Adoption appeared first on Family Matters.

On the 10th October, segments of the Ruddock Religious Freedom Review Report were leaked to the press suggesting recommends for religious schools to turn away LGBTQ students should be made consistent across the country.

The leaks also suggested that schools would have to publicly outline their policy on the matter and that these measures would only affect students, as schools set up for religious purposes already have the right to take such matters into account when hiring staff or contractors.

Currently Commonwealth, state and territory legislation presents a variety of provisions regarding discrimination based on sexual orientation and exemptions for religious schools. This news was a shock to many in the community.

To understand the potential impact of these changes, the current law and the impact of this leak, we speak with;

Without the release of the full report, many of us are understandably worried about the impact another public debate about our children and our families. Sensationalist media headlines and sound bites are adding to that anxiety.

In order to end the unnecessary speculation about the report and to mitigate the distress being experienced by members of our rainbow family communities, Rainbow Families Victoria have written & urged the PM to release the Ruddock Religious Freedom Review Report. You can read their letter in full here: http://www.rainbowfamilies.org.au/advocacy/federal/

NEED TO TALK?  We encourage you to call SWITCHBOARD on 1800 184 527.

If people feel they have been unlawfully discriminated against they can bring a complaint to the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission 1300 292 153 or the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

Or contact Victorian Legal Aid1300 792 387, Monday to Friday from 8.45 am to 5.15 pm, for free information over the phone about the law and how they can help you.

The post The leaks & the facts – Ruddock Religious Freedom Review appeared first on Family Matters.

When Chloe discovered she was donor conceived she knew she wanted to search out her donor. She thought the search would be quite easy. It was far from that. Hear her amazing story here.

The Time to tell seminar provides tips on how, when and what to say to children, friends and family so that parents feel more confident about their story, and children can understand the unique way in which they came into this world.

Speakers include counsellors, parents from different families, donors and donor-conceived young people. You will gain insight and advice on all aspects of talking to children about becoming a family with the help of donated eggs, sperm embryos or a surrogate. Potential parents, parents, friends, family, donors and professionals are all welcome.

The post Interview: Chloe Allworthy & her quest to find her donor dad appeared first on Family Matters.

Ahead of the Time to tell seminar we are joined by gay dads Michael & Terry who discuss their domestic surrogacy journey and the conversations with their children about where they came from. We are also joined by VARTA’s Donor Registers Service Manager Kate Bourne to discuss the upcoming seminar.

The Time to tell (6th Oct 2018) seminar provides tips on how, when and what to say to children, friends and family so that parents feel more confident about their story, and children can understand the unique way in which they came into this world.

Speakers include counsellors, parents from different families, donors and donor-conceived young people. You will gain insight and advice on all aspects of talking to children about becoming a family with the help of donated eggs, sperm embryos or a surrogate. Potential parents, parents, friends, family, donors and professionals are all welcome.

The Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority (VARTA) is a statutory authority funded by the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services. VARTA provides independent information and support for individuals, couples and health professionals on fertility and issues related to assisted reproductive treatment. This includes IVF, surrogacy and donor-conception.

The post Donor conceived – how, when & why to tell the kids appeared first on Family Matters.