MORE ON THAT LESBIAN THING

Well, I received an e-mail from Siobhan and unfortunately she was in the wrong place at the wrong time, as I have been resisting formulating any response to my detractors. Howeverm, I cobbled one together and present it as posted to her. Siobhan, if you are burnt as the rocket passes through, then SORRY!



In the interest of balance I have updated my blog and got comments from the mum's involved, the head of children's programming at ABC, and an unfavourable response to me published in the C-M.

What most people are missing is I'm not directly taking a swipe at lesbianism or motherhood, but at the ABC!

As a loving and accepting parent, I reserve the right to monitor what my kids do and don't watch on TV, and what influences they are exposed to. Hence no CSI, Simpsons or Big Brother. These TV shows simply do not promote the kind of values I am interested in seeing my children develop.

In my opinion the ABC crossed the line with its portrayal of lesbian motherhood as what I define as "acceptable lifestyle" for my children to be viewing in the context of Playschool.

As the Senator readily admits, TV has a powerful influence as normalising force. He "came out" as gay, partly supported by what he described as positive images on the tube. However, I do not want my children to grow up to become lesbians, or Hare Krishnas, or One Nation Party voters. So, while recognising that these are valid life-choices for people of sincere faith, my duty as a parent is to see my own children grow up in an environment which promotes the values that I believe in. No reasonable, responsible parent, straight or gay, would behave otherwise. This means Play School is now suspect.

I readily admit that bias is that which you don't agree with, and acknowledge Play School has shown Christening, Weddings, Bar Mitzvahs etc with no complaints from me. But in the name of "diversity", will we see Mr Habib with his four wives dressed in Burkhas, as simply "another expression of what it means to be Australian" appear on children's television next? Where do we draw the line, or not at all, as the Senator suggests that all forms of censorship is wrong?

The ABC is answerable to the public for its programming choices, and its test of integrity is whether or not it uses children's TV as a lever for its own value system, especially when this does not square with the majority of Australians (witness the volumes of mail going into the ABC on this issue).

Children's TV is NOT the place for thrashing out these issues. Debate on the nature and values of our society is much better carried out in other ways.

Let's not get emotive about this. People can be lesbians if they want to - it's not up to me to decide for them, and as far as they're concerned about me I could probably go and get a life. However, if you are going to interpret your whole identity through your sexuality like our friend the Senator then maybe my ideas may seem inflammatory.

I apologise for that. Nevertheless, I return to my main idea that lesbianism / homosexuality it is something that is just not for me, nor do I prefer it for my family, and neither do I want to see it on my children's ABC.

And if you want some really right wing views go and visit
http://timblair.spleenville.com