This trip home to Australia has been a very rewarding and enjoyable one. I’ve especially enjoyed spending time reconnecting with family and friends. . . . and, of course, the opportunity to soak up the warm summer weather!
Last month my older brother and his family traveled from Melbourne to Port Macquarie, where for about ten days the entire Bayly family was together. It was a very special time.
I feel very blessed to have the family I have. Each and every one of my family members love and support me for who I am and in the work I do in the U.S. I know that such affirmation isn’t always the case for gay people, a sad fact which makes me appreciate all the more my family’s love and support.
I share the following photos not only in a spirit of celebration of my family and the love we share, but also in a spirit of hope - a hope for the day to soon come when the idea of demeaning, ostracizing or rejecting a family member simply because of their sexual orientation is unthinkable. And I pledge to continue doing my part in making this day a reality within the context of Roman Catholicism.
I also share these images to dispel the fallacy that gay people and/or the gay orientation and its expression aims to destroy marriage and the family. The reality is, of course, that gay people are members of families and love their families. I hope these photos attest to that.
Above: My parents Gordon and Margaret Bayly - January 18, 2010.
Above: Standing between my two brothers, Chris (right) and Tim (left) - January 18, 2010.
These first two photos were taken at Swallows’ Ledge.
Above: My older brother Chris and his family. From left: Mitch, Ryan, Chris, Cathie, Brendan, and Liam.Left: Chris and Cathie - January 18, 2010. In the American summer of 2008, Chris and his family visited me in the U.S. For images of their time in Minnesota, see here.
Right: My younger brother Tim and his wife Ros. For images of Tim and his band, click here.
Above: Tim and Ros’ two daughters Layne and Sami.
Above: “Grandpa Bayly” with the youngest of his grandchildren, Brendan.
Above: Mitchell and Liam.
Above: Brendan and Layne.
Above: Tim, Sami, and Ros at the lookout above Lighthouse Beach (and close to Tacking Point Lighthouse).
Above: Chris, celebrating his birthday on January 18.
Above: Mum and Dad.
Above: With my parents and brothers. From left: Chris, me, Dad, Mum, and Tim - January 18, 2010.
Above: My nieces and nephews. From left: Ryan, Mitchell, Liam, Brendan, Layne, and Sami - January 18, 2010.
See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
A Bush Christmas
A Visit from the Hometown Relatives
My “Bone Country”
Commemorating My Grandfather, Aub Bayly, and the Loss of AHS Centaur
Remembering Nanna Smith
The White Rooster
One of These Boys . . .
The Bayly Family - January 2009
The Bayly Family - July 2006
An Australian Christmas (2006)
Congratulations, Mum and Dad
Catholic Rainbow (Australian) Parents
Coming Out
5 comments:
Beautiful photos. There's a light around these people. You are really blessed.
Thank you so much for these beautiful pictures of your family, Michael. This is a bright spot in a cold and snowy day for me. God bless you and your family.
You words here are so beautiful, Michael. I wish that I could share them with a woman that hammered me on a Catholic site. I told her the the Church needed to be more welcoming of gay people and not like some fundamentalist sects that drive gay people to suicide. She told me, "It's people such as yourself who help gay teens and adults to kill themselves. Your type are the ones who lead them to suicide. They choose to sin and kill themselves from people like you who condone and promote them in their sins." I'll spare you the part about hell. Some of the people on this site are nice but some are so prejudiced. Thanks for all your posts from Australia. They truly brighten my day.
I hope that Archbishop Neinstedt checks out you blog from time to time. It would be good if he could look at these wonderful pictures and read the beautiful words that you wrote. Perhaps then it would sink in.
Hello
I was most interested to see you Bayly page. I am at present researching the descendants of Wentworth and Charles Nathaniel who died 1831 and 1853 respectively in England but owned sugar plantations in Jamaica. They were both sons of Nathaniel and paternal grandsons of Zachary. A number of their family went to Australia including Montague William Bayly. I wonder if you are related?. If so I might be able to tell you more about your ancestors!!
Look forward to hearing from you
Alice
email alice.munrofaure@btinternet.com
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