Life
8 Great Movies That Normalize Same-Sex Parenting & Are Important To Watch
Pride Month is here, and it's all about recognizing and celebrating the LGBTQ community. That means there's no time like the present to press play on a film featuring gay families. It takes a little bit of digging to find some of the hidden gems out there, but there are some great movies that normalize same-sex parenting, while also making you laugh, cry, and everything in between.
More than a hundred thousand same-sex couples are raising kids together in the U.S., according to the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, though you might not realize it from the relatively small number of movies featuring them. The number of gay characters in film has gone up and down over the past few years, according to the most recent statistics from GLAAD, an advocacy and watchdog group that promotes LGBTQ acceptance. The group looked at 109 major studio releases in 2017, and found that just 14 featured LGBTQ characters of any sort. That was a sharp decrease over the previous two years. Clearly there's a long way to go toward significant LGBTQ representation in film, whether they feature families or not.
These eight movies have done their part to break that trend, and many earned rave reviews in the process.
1The Kids Are All Right
Annette Bening and Julianne Moore play lesbian moms whose kids are searching for a connection with their sperm donor dad, played by Mark Ruffalo in The Kids Are All Right. The film was a critical darling when it was released in 2011, earning Oscar nominations for best picture and acting noms for Bening and Ruffalo, according to IMDb.
2The Birdcage
Robin Williams and Nathan Lane play a gay couple about to meet the super conservative parents of their son's fiancé in The Birdcage. When one dad decides to hide his true self by dressing up as a woman, hijinks inevitably ensue. In addition to the sweet message about being true to yourself, this movie is also absolutely hilarious.
3Same Sex Parents
A high-schooler deals with the fallout after her classmates find out that her mom is a lesbian and her dad is gay in Same Sex Parents. The French film underscores the lesson that the truth will set you free.
4Ideal Home
Two men suddenly find themselves raising a young boy when a long lost grandson arrives on their doorstep in Ideal Home. Steve Coogan and Paul Rudd play the couple that needs to make some huge lifestyle adjustments when a kid comes into the picture.
5Tru Loved
Teenager Tru moves to a conservative new town with her moms and shakes things up by trying to start a Gay-Straight Alliance at her high school in Tru Loved. The film was a hit at gay film festivals when it debuted in 2008, according to IMDB.
6Patrik, Age 1.5
A gay Swedish couple plans to start a family through adoption and are overjoyed to learn they'll be getting a toddler in Patrik, Age 1.5. But they get the shock of their lives when Patrik actually turns out to be 15, not 1.5, and he's a homophobe on top of that.
7Shelter
A gay young man tries to juggle finding love and filling in as a parent for his absentee sister's little boy in Shelter. The movie took home the award for Outstanding Film at the 2009 GLAAD Media Awards, according to the organization's website.
8Gayby Baby
Gayby Baby aims to normalize same-sex parenting by giving a voice to those who understand it best. The documentary is narrated by several children being raised by loving gay parents.
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