Media
One of the most powerful ways that rainbow families communities and our supporters can work for legal and social change is to be visible and to tell our family stories publicly. This helps to dispel the many myths and misunderstandings about lesbian, gay, bi, transgender and intersex people and their families.
Positive stories in the mainstream media help the broader community understand the diverse realities of our lives, while our community media outlets are a great way to inspire members of rainbow families and our supporters to take action.
Key contacts for journalists
Journalists can arrange interviews about the Love Makes a Family campaign, or find a range of couples or families willing to tell their personal story by contacting campaign coordinator Felicity Marlowe on 0411 593 607, or via email on lmaf@vic.chariot.net.au.
For media enquiries about the Rainbow Families Council more broadly, contact Co-convenor Sue West via email.
Speak out! Using the media to tell our stories
There are lots of ways you can help educate the broader community about rainbow family issues using the media. Telling personal stories through radio, television, newpapers and other media is very important for breaking down stereotypes and putting real faces to the issues.
In this section, we've provided contacts for some mainstream newspapers and radio stations, to encourage you to write letters to the editor, and to call talkback radio, to talk about your concerns about rainbow family law reform. We've also provided some handy hints for writing letters to the editor and calling talkback. The key message is: keep it personal. It's those personal stories that have the most impact with readers and listeners.
We need you! Telling your story through media interviews
Rainbow Families Council and the Love Makes a Family Campaign often receive calls from journalists asking “do you know someone in x situation we can interview?” We need a pool of people willing to do interviews, often at very short notice. We need a diverse range of families, couples and single people affected by the laws and involved in rainbow families who are willing to tell their story to help create change.
We need prospective parents, parents, children, grandparents and supporters willing to talk about some or all of their own story, and about key issues.
We can provide lots of support! Many of us have had positive media experiences, and are happy to talk it through if you think you’d like to have a go. We can also provide resources e.g. summaries of the issues, although journalists are most interested in personal stories.
It may surprise you that people who tell their family stories often really enjoy the experience, and in our experience, have always had a great reaction from their community. To find out more about what it might be like, read our interviews with two couples about their experiences of telling their family stories to mainstream newspapers and television for the first time.
To find out more about telling your story via the media, or to sign up to become part of our pool of people willing to tell their story, fill in our media sign-up form, or contact Campaign Coordinator Felicity Marlowe on 0411 593 607 or lmaf@vic.chariot.net.au.
Sharing your story to support the campaign
A number of couples and families have also shared their family stories with the Love Makes a Family campaign, and they're available to read on this website. We also included many of these stories in our information kit for the campaign, which so far has been distributed to a number of MPs and key organisations. Universally, the feedback is that the most important and effective part of the kit is the family stories, because they show the impact of the laws and the reality of children's and families' lives. So thanks to those who have told their stories so far!
If you'd like to share your story too, we'd love to hear from you. You can do this via the website, or by contacting the campaign.
