A humorous but pointed new video from Family Equality shows two dads answering their child’s question of “Where do babies come from?” by discussing lawyers, home studies, and bias against queer families. It reminds us that the path to parenthood for LGBTQ people is still full of obstacles and inequalities. Watch it here, just in time for Parents’ Day this Sunday, July 25.
Love, Lawyers & The Government was developed by Family Equality alongside creative agencies TBWA\Chiat\Day New York and Furlined, and directed by Will Speck and Josh Gordon (Blades of Glory, The Switch, Office Christmas Party, Distant). For those not familiar with the challenges LGBTQ families face—even after marriage equality—the video may indeed be eye opening. For those of us who have gone through this, it may bring wry smiles to our faces as we nod in recognition.
Stacey Stevenson, CEO of Family Equality, notes, “Throughout the adoption process, people in the LGBTQ+ community face state-endorsed legal obstacles, colossal financial burdens, and discrimination that the majority of straight parents do not. It takes time, money, and energy for members of this community to become parents. But, most of all, it takes courage. It’s our hope that Love, Lawyers & The Government will shed further light on the inequities of the journey to parenthood in America. It’s a monumental struggle for these parents-to-be. But it’s a struggle many are simply not aware of.”
Eleven states, for example, allow foster care and adoption agencies to cite their religious beliefs as a reason to reject qualified LGBTQ parents or anyone else. Two pieces of federal legislation, however, the Equality Act and the John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act, would offer nationwide protections for LGBTQ+ people and their families.
The video ends with the dads dodging their child’s question about how vaginas are involved, something the kid heard from a friend. It’s a funny moment, since many of us experience similar awkwardness discussing genitalia and reproduction with our kids (and it reminds us that our kids always know more than we think). The topics shouldn’t be awkward or avoided, though—and an increasing number of books for kids explain family creation, biological and otherwise, in a way inclusive of queer parents (though we still need more). We queer parents are just as capable of explaining these things as anyone else. Let’s remember that even as we’re laughing.
To join Family Equality in increasing support for the bills above, please visit action.familyequality.org.
Watch the video below.