Burwood Girls High School in Sydney sent a flyer to parents last week saying all students would attend a special screening of the award-winning documentary Gayby Baby during periods two and three on Friday 18 August.

The film, according to former student and director Maya Newell, is more about four children growing up than their parents’ sexuality. Newell, 27, comes from a family of same-sex parents and Gayby Baby represents the voice of children like herself growing up in Australian society.

The screening, scheduled to be attended by 1,200 students, was to be followed by a morning tea with purple cupcakes and a purple fashion parade, as part of the student-led Wear It Purple initiative, promoting diversity and inclusiveness in schools. Up to 50 schools throughout Australia, starting with NSW and Victoria, had been planning to show the film as part of the Wear It Purple campaign.

Following a Daily Telegraph headline on parents being outraged at the flyer, NSW Education Minister Adrian Piccoli made a statement on Macquarie Radio, condemning the documentary, saying “schools are not places for political issues to be aired”.
After receiving a phone-call from a Greek Australian mother on Wednesday, Neos Kosmos contacted the Department of Education, which confirmed that “screening the film may be considered if it is an integral part of the planned curriculum for an age appropriate year group”.

“If a school decides to screen the film outside school hours or as an integral part of the curriculum all relevant policy and procedures must be followed,” the department’s media spokesperson said.

Following Minister Piccoli’s statement, the deputy secretary of the Department of Education instructed that all NSW public secondary schools refrain from showing the Gayby Baby film in school time, so that it would not impact on the delivery of the planned lessons of the day. It has been confirmed, however, that Burwood Girls High did not receive a single complaint with regards to showing Gayby Baby during class time.

“We only received four inquisitive emails expressing concern,” the school’s spokesperson said.

In fact, students at Burwood Girls High claim the school has had several interruptions of planned lessons over the past month to attend non-relevant events to their school curriculum, without ministerial intervention. The Wear It Purple event itself is also expected to replace some teaching hours to celebrate LGBTI rights.

“We are going ahead with Wear It Purple day on Friday and we will see what happens at other schools around the state,” said Burwood Girls High school captain Eve Croffrey.

“We consider ourselves leaders in the push for equality and acceptance – for all people. We consider our support to be just one small step in creating better understanding in the community.”

Director Maya Newell defended her work, saying that banning the film would have greater implications.

“If a film that represents your family and your voice is banned from a school as inappropriate to show other students, it gives children being raised in same-sex families the very negative message that their family is abnormal and not acceptable.”

Newell stressed that creating inclusive classrooms and valuing family diversity is essential in promoting student wellbeing and acceptance of difference.

“There is no place for bullying, homophobia or discrimination in Australian public schools,” she concluded.

Meanwhile, it was revealed that the NSW education minister and Premier Mike Baird hadn’t watched the film prior to banning it, even though it screened at Parliament House the night before the alleged turmoil; while Premier Daniel Andrews took to Facebook to show his support.

“I’m getting really sick of this stuff (…) I will not put up with this kind of cruel rubbish in Victoria,” he wrote.

Since Thursday, more schools across the state are defying the ban by hosting after-hours screenings while members and supporters of the LGBTI community plan on protesting on Sunday afternoon outside the offices of The Daily Telegraph in Surry Hills.

Other sources: smh, Facebook