Every LGBTQ History Month, I like to remind readers of two great films that explore the early days of out lesbian moms.
Choosing Children, by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Debra Chasnoff and her then-partner Kim Klausner, was the first documentary to look at lesbians who became parents after coming out. It offers a snapshot of lesbian life in the early 1980s, a crucial turning point in LGBT family history. The six lesbian families profiled in the film had their children through known donors, unknown donors, and adoption.
The film was officially released in 1985, the same year the first second-parent adoption in the country was granted, allowing nonbiological mothers to become legal parents of their partners’ children — another indication of the pivotal period that their work captures. For more on the creation of the film, its reception at the time, and its special 30th anniversary edition with updates on the original families, see my earlier piece.
It is available through Chasnoff’s film company, Groundspark, and comes with English and Spanish subtitles. Here’s the trailer:
The second film is Mom’s Apple Pie: The Heart of the Lesbian Mothers’ Custody Movement, by filmmakers Jody Laine, Shan Ottey, and Shad Reinstein. It gives us a look at several early custody cases involving lesbian moms—and shows how the activism they spawned has had a direct impact on LGBTQ people and organizations today. The tales are heart wrenching, but the film does more than just tug at our emotions, focusing instead on the innovation that came out of adversity. For more on the film and its historical context, see my longer post.
The film is available to stream. Here’s the trailer:
Mom’s Apple Pie: The Heart of the Lesbian Mothers’ Custody Movement from Frameline Distribution on Vimeo.