Hi, I am Lewis, and I was born to a mother who identified as bi-sexual and a father who was gay.

They never lived together. When I wasn’t in foster care I lived with my mum until I was 13 and then I went to live with my dad and his gay partner.

That was tough, I felt my feelings were never considered. Their lives were all about their gay lifestyle. Sexual innuendo was in everything. They were always “checking out” other guys in public even my friends when I brought them over.
Everything was over-the-top in our house, from fairy lights in hallway to paintings in the toilet—their behaviour, speech, actions, décor, everything. Their “gayness” was like a religion that needed to be constantly reaffirm through their actions, what they bought, their speech and my home.

What was worse is that other people thought I was gay too which deeply embarrassed me. I felt wronged as I had no feelings for males. This confused me greatly.

There were even concealed cameras around the house— in my private areas and once I came across video footage of me in one of their computers. I was left feeling uncomfortable and sexually vulnerable.

Once we went to a birthday party. I thought we were just guests. The next thing I know, my dad was dressed in drag and singing Abba…he hadn’t warned me he was going to be the entertainment. I felt publicly humiliated. There was never any checking in with me.

When I was going through puberty I found couldn’t discuss it with them. I ended up having that conversation with a respite carer.

My experience of living with gay parents left me emotionally scarred and sexually confused. Their focus was always about sex, not on someone’s innate value as a person. I felt I was not able to bring this up because I just wanted acceptance.

When I became interested in politics I became a member of the Sex Party and stood for election to parliament. I realize now how naïve I was at the time and heavily influenced my political position was from my Gay/Bi parents.

I even had a different position on gay marriage that I do now.

Running for the Sex party however did challenge me to find my true values and eventually led to me resigning from the Party because of the conflict of that. Without this experience I would not have the clarity of the real issues involved in Marriage Equality.

I have found peace with the conservative values I now hold.

I share my story in the hope that I can help others to understand the consequences an unnatural lifestyle can have on normal children.

Nowadays I value greatly the concept of traditional marriage between man and woman, and the traditional family unit. Consequently, I have voted against same-sex marriage in the postal survey, and I urge you to fill our your survey and vote No and post it in the mail this weekend so then the ABS can receive it by the 7th of November, for the sake of the protection of our children.

Lewis Freeman-Harrison
Campaign Manager
Vote No Australia