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First Review: Rosie’s Family Cruise

This is one of the most uplifting documentaries you are likely to see all year.

In 2004 Rosie O’Donnell and partner Kelli hired a Norwegian cruise liner and invited gay familes for a 7 day Caribbean holiday. 1,500 people participated: mums, dads, kids, teenagers, grandparents and their straight supporters. Freed of a life as a minority these families burst with pride on a floating sanctuary. They are there in all shapes and sizes, colours and religions, but they share one thing in common: a new definition of the American family.

The whole documentary has a liberating holiday feel. There are marriage ceremonies, sessions on adoption and IVF, workshops where teenagers share their experiences of growing up with gay parents. There’s nightly queer cabaret and broadway showstoppers (watchout for the boys doing the Dreamgirls number). You’ll see gay men negotiating to become sperm donors for lesbian women.

They stop off in the Bahamas to religious protests (the sole ugly moment in the film), although some locals openly welcome them.

And by the end of course, nobody wants to return to the real world.

Captain Rosie requests your company on this truly remarkable Love Boat.

Screens Tues 27th Feb 10:00pm on SBS.

One Response

  1. I saw this listed in this weeks Tv Week – looks like a fantastic feel good doco, I hope this show gets the figures it deserves, will be watching this with pride!

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