Promo for Gaywaves special 'Mothers and Others'

Promo for Mothers and Others, a 1991 Gaywaves five-part special focusing on lesbian parenting and produced by Prue Borthwick and Barbara Bloch.

Over five episodes they explored the issue from different perspectives, including that of the parents, the children and the donors. 

Same-sex parenting was a controversial issue at the time, but what Prue discovered was very positive, as she recalled in an interview with the NFSA in 2017:

‘Sure, there were problems, and we may have glossed over some of these in our enthusiasm, but overall we found the usual cosy, messy family behaviour that reassured us that lesbian parenting could produce just as warm and loving and nurturing relationships between the parents and their children as in heterosexual families.

‘Our journey helped the journey of others, and the reaction from the public was very positive. A lot of lesbians were beginning to dare to think of motherhood at the time but most of the reading material available was American, so people appreciated the Australian perspective and advice on the legal issues and services available.’

The transcript of Mothers and Others was published as a book, using a small grant from the AIDS Council of NSW. When it was released, it topped the Feminist Bookshop's bestseller list.