When Louise Pratt’s son Jasper entered the world in 2014, he was welcomed into the loving arms of a mother and three fathers.
The openly gay Labor Senator, her former partner Aram Hosie – who is a transgender man – and a same-sex male couple are co-parents of the three-year-old boy.
Senator Pratt was 40 when she first met a woman named Renae, 29, who would later become Aram after transitioning to male.
After several unsuccessful IVF treatments, Senator Pratt finally fell pregnant in 2014, saying at the time a ‘long-term friend’ had donated the sperm.
Labor Senator Louise Pratt co-parents her three-year-old son Jasper with his three fathers
The Labor Senator, her former partner Aram Hosie (pictured) – a transgender man – and another same-sex couple raise the child
WA MP Stephen Dawson and his Dennis Liddelow are pictured, one of whom is Jasper’s biological father
It was later revealed WA Environment Minister Stephen Dawson or his partner Dennis Liddelow was the donor, though it’s not publicly known which is the biological father.
But all four parents raise the child as their own and proudly identify as a ‘rainbow family’.
‘Our family is just one variation of the many types of families that exist – in our case Jasper has the love and daily care of all four of us,’ Senator Pratt told The Weekend West shortly after Jasper’s birth.
‘In many ways it’s a similar situation to children whose biological parents separate and re-partner but who continue to co-parent together.’
Senator Pratt and the three fathers raise Jasper together and proudly identify as a ‘rainbow family’
Senator Pratt was 40 when she first met a woman named Renae, 29, who would later become Aram (pictured) after transitioning to male
Senator Pratt is pictured with one of Jasper’s fathers, Western Australia Labor MP Stephen Dawson
Minister Dawson and his partner Mr Liddelow, a former DJ-turned-public-servant, made history in 2013 when they became the first same-sex couple to make use of the ACT’s short-lived marriage laws.
Just a few days layer, the High Court struck down the laws and their marriage was void.
On Wednesday Senator Pratt, a tireless campaigner for marriage equality, broke down in Parliament while recalling her family’s encounter with anti-gay marriage advocates ahead of the postal survey.
‘I was down the local shop with members of my own rainbow family, just doing the shopping for the evening meal, when they were handed an anti-marriage equality pamphlet,’ Senator Pratt said.
Mr Dawson and his partner Mr Liddelow made history in 2013 when they became the first same-sex couple to make use of ACT marriage laws
But their marriage was short-lived after the High Court struck down the laws just a few days later
On Wednesday, Senator Pratt broke down in Parliament while recalling her ‘rainbow family’s’ encounter with anti-gay marriage campaigners
She refused to repeat the pamphlet because it was ‘too hurtful.’
‘But it wasn’t even about marriage, the quality of my relationship with my partner or the quality of my son’s dad’s relationships,’ she continued.
‘My child should not be subject to debates about his family and his parents.’
Senator Pratt argued that the survey shouldn’t be happening in the first place and ‘the government should not be allowing it to happen.’
The mother was embraced by members of her party after concluding her heartfelt speech.
Senator Penny Wong (2nd left) raises her hand in victory as she holds a rainbow flag with Bill Shorten (centre), Tanya Plibersek (2nd right) Louise Pratt and Anthony Albanese (left)
Senator Pratt refused to repeat the anti-gay marriage pamphlet because it was ‘too hurtful’