Guest post by Ed Web-Ingall
Raising Hell is adocumentary that tells the often ignored and unknown story of the children of Lesbian and Gay parentsin the UK from a personal and political viewpoint.
Raising Hell Teaser Trailer from ed webb-ingall on Vimeo.
A cross section of young people talk about their experiences of being brought up in a ‘non traditional’ family 50 years since the word homosexual entered the public psyche and consciousness; Through interviews with the children of Lesbian and Gay Parents along side interviews with Jeff Weeks, Susan Golombok and Gil Butler this film aims to tell the story and the history of the modern family.
This is a half hour documentary that profiles the experiences of the children of Lesbian and Gay parents in the UK aged 12 to 35, exploring themes of School, Gender, Sexuality, Prejudice and what the word Family means. Set alongside an examination of the rich social and political history of Lesbian and Gay parents from the late 1960s to the present day. Through researching, making and screening this film I hope to at once normalise and elaborate on the unshared and unheard experiences of the children of Lesbian and Gay parents. I made this film half an hour long with the intention to have half hour screenings, followed by half hour conversations in classrooms, social centres and the like. I made it with kids at the heart, the voice and presence of the parents is there by situating the kids in a social and political context, but no parents are physically in it, I wanted to create a safe space where kids can be seen to be speaking freely and openly about their experiences without having to be poster kids for their “perfect families”, I didn’t want this film to perpetuate the myth of the perfect family, or the perfect childhood, but instead show kids who, whatever they felt about their families, didn’t want to change or hide them, but be proud of who and what they have made them.
Through the process of making this film I was keen not just to understand and document the personal and political history of kids with LGBT parents, but also to give myself a lesson in the film making theory and techniques of the queer film makers of the 70s, 80s and 90s – partly as this was when decisions were being made that would have a direct affect on the kids but also because I am keen to situate the film in their lineage, to document the specific political and social changes that affected the future of the kids in the film – drawing on the techniques and textures of queer film makers I hoped, not to become retro, nostalgic and backwards looking, but to embed the film in a wider queer history, to give the film a chance to span across these times and be part of them. A lot to achieve in my first film and in thirty minutes I am sure you agree, but evidence out last year states Lesbians do make better parents than conventional ones…
A brief history of Lesbian and Gay Parenting in the UK:
1957, 50 years ago The Wolfenden Report Published recommending that homosexual behaviour between consenting adults in private should no longer be a criminal offence
1969 40 years ago Following the Stonewall Riots in New York City and the formation of The Committee for Homosexual Equality in Britain the modern Gay rights movement born
1979 30 years ago First babies being born using ART to Lesbian parents resulting in an increased public awareness of lesbians and first lesbian custody battles being fought and won
1989 20 years ago Stonewall group setup to oppose Section 28 which prevented the ‘promotion of homosexuality by local authorities’
1999 10 years ago Law society proposes that unmarried partners, including same sex couples should be legally recognised, it is also stated by the Family Law Division that Gays and Lesbians should be able to foster and adopt and the Children’s society lifted their five year ban on lesbian and gay fostering and adoption
2009 Legislation allowing same sex partners equal access for Lesbians and their partners to “parentage presumptions” from IVF or assisted/self insemination to have the words “parent” on the child’s birth certificate
2009 November Senior parenting officials state “Lesbians make better parents” than conventional couples…
2010 Raising Hell, A Film by Ed Webb-Ingall…
http://vimeo.com/11270823
Please visit my blog for news about screenings and more information.
http://raisinghellfilm.wordpress.com/