A mother who makes a living creating ‘realistic’ dolls with flaws and human-like features has shown her support for same-sex marriage using her own painted figurines.
Betty Strachan-Otter, the mastermind behind repainted doll business All The Little Dolls, first arrived in the public eye after her breastfeeding and pregnant ‘Barbie’ dolls went viral.
And like many other Australians she has decided to share her opinion on the country’s controversial gay marriage debate – by crafting her own same-sex doll family.
Betty Strachan-Otter showed her support for same-sex marriage by using her repainted dolls
The Brisbane mother-of-two found online fame for her breastfeeding ‘Barbie’ (pictured)
‘I like to use my dolls to depict scenes containing positive affirmations to those who can relate to them,’ Betty told Daily Mail Australia.
‘Personally, I’m saddened that there even needs to be a debate on same sex marriage. Nobody worries about who you love when you’re in a committed straight relationship so why should same sex couples need to be treated any differently?’
The Brisbane mother-of-two began repainting dolls for her sons before her honest re-imagination of the humble Barbie doll became wildly popular online.
Betty revealed her stance on gay marriage on her public Instagram page by using two dolls as same-sex partners and parents, fashioning the pair into doting mothers.
‘I like to use my dolls to depict scenes containing positive affirmations to those who can relate to them,’ Betty told Daily Mail Australia
The Brisbane mother-of-two began repainting dolls for her sons before her honest re-imagination of the humble Barbie doll became wildly popular online
Betty (pictured) revealed her stance on gay marriage on her public Instagram page by using two Barbie dolls as same-sex partners and parents, fashioning two dolls into doting mothers
In the heartwarming photo, one blonde doll can be seen tenderly embracing the other as three smaller dolls sit on their laps.
The dolls, which are all wearing clothes painstakingly hand-made by Betty, represent the unconventional same-sex family which is a hotly debated ideology in Australia’s political landscape.
Alongside the picture included the hashtags: #loveislove. #gaymarriage and #samesexcouples, with a call to her followers to ‘post your yes’.
The Etsy entrepreneur also described the dolls as ‘my precious gay babies’ while several others expressed their pleasure at the doll family.
Betty’s repainting hobby soon became a worldwide phenomenon last year after she refashioned several Barbie dolls into pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.
The dolls, which are all wearing clothes painstakingly hand-made by Betty, represent the unconventional same-sex family which is a hotly debated ideology in Australia’s political landscape
The Etsy entrepreneur also described the dolls as ‘my precious gay babies’ while several others expressed their pleasure at the doll family
She called the dolls ‘Mamas Worldwide Barbie’ and started selling them online – a business venture which proved wildly popular for mums and young children alike.
Her dolls are also known for portraying realistic and flawed complexions, as Betty paints over the glossy faces to create human-like imperfections such as freckles or dark-circles.
By scrubbing off the classic makeup, the young mother hopes to educate young children that not all women look the same.
By scrubbing off the classic makeup, the young mother hopes to educate young children that not all women look the same
‘Not every child is born with blonde hair and blue eyes. Some have freckles, some have gaps in their teeth,’ Betty said
‘Not every child is born with blonde hair and blue eyes. Some have freckles, some have gaps in their teeth,’ Betty said.
‘A girl with brown skin and dark eyes may look at a light skinned doll and wonder why it’s classed as beautiful and she is not.
‘I enjoy creating unique faces most because it’s easy to rely on muscle memory when repainting the same dolls over and over but there’s a sort of challenge in creating something new with the same canvas and tools.’