#17 | LGBT Parenting, Stories of the 8th, and a Tortoise the Size of a Bus Wheel!

Talking to children about adult issues can be a minefield. On this week’s Sparking Change, we talk LGBT issues and families in the classroom, and how it’s not just about sex. We shoot the breeze with the seriously funny hosts of the Echo Chamber podcast. And finally, we talk to Grace Dyas about bringing home the stories of the Irish women travelling to access abortion services.

In her editorial this week, Dil shares her experiences as an LGBT parent, some of the insensitive and downright bizarre questions she and her family have been asked, and reminds us that when it comes down to it, love is what makes a family.

Cecelia Gavin: Different Families, Same Love (6:58)

Cecelia Gavin is the chairperson of the INTO LGBT Teacher’s Group and talks to us about the group’s upcoming Different Families, Same Love competition, focused on opening up discussions around LGBT issues and non-traditional family structures in the classroom.

Tony Groves and Martin McMahon: The Echo Chamber Podcast (38:15)

The promise: there will be shenanigans. Tony and Martin of the irreverently clued-in Echo Chamber Podcast join us to discuss the need for independent media, how best to get your local TD’s attention, and importantly, how a tortoise can grow to the size of a bus wheel.

Grace Dyas: Bring the Stories Home (1:11:50)

70 women per week travel from Ireland abroad to access safe abortion services. We are joined once again by the inspirational Grace Dyas, to talk about the ‘Bring the Stories Home’ campaign, the complexity of the movement to repeal, and the importance of not silencing those we disagree with.