The 1970's saw the unprecedented emergence of women coming out of heterosexual marriages, coming out as lesbian, and fighting for custody (or sometimes even just visitation) of their children. In the early days, nothing the father could do — even drug-dealing or physical abuse — trumped the mother's lesbianism in determining custody. The Lesbian Mothers National Defense Fund (LMNDF) and other groups organized to turn the tide, at least in some parts of the country. (The state of Oklahoma was noted as particularly hostile to gay parents.)
Living in San Francisco, seeing gay couples deciding to have and raise children, it's easy to forget how different the landscape was 30 years ago. This excellent documentary preserves those memories for future generations. See this film.
Mom's Apple Pie: The Heart of the Lesbian Mother's Custody Movement, dir. Jodi Laine, 2006 USA, 57 min.
Technorati tags: Frameline30, LGBT Film, Mom's Apple Pie, Lesbian Custody Movement
YAY! I'm glad to see the word spreading about this film, as my mom was one of the moms in it! Those times and those courageous young women should not be forgotten!
ReplyDeleteWe live in dangerous and strange times and people shouldn't for ONE second be lulled into a false sense of security. It was wonderful to have someone come around and ask me what it was like and be free to say that I was as normal as any other kid, I was just persecuted and treated poorly by OUTSIDE forces who believed my mother was a sinner.
My most painful times were from outside forces, my most loving were from my family.