A Sydney girls high school is facing backlash from parents over the new documentary about same-sex parenting, Gayby Baby.

Burwood Girls High School’s Wear It Purple day events met with backlash and hostility.

Parents and students were informed that attendance would be mandatory for all 1,200 students. The showing of the documentary was planned to be a part of Wear it Purple day.

Wear it Purple promotes the ideas that “every young person is unique, important and worthy of love.” and that “No one should be subject to bullying, belittlement and invalidation. We believe in a world in which every young person can thrive, irrelevant of sex, sexuality or gender identity.” To reach these goals, Wear it Purple focuses on six main paths: educate, celebrate, advocate, empower, challenge, and support.

The school had planned to show the documentary on Friday 28 August during school hours with a follow up fashion parade and purple cupcakes to take place during lunchtime.

The complaints coming from parents focused on how the film “pushes an alternative view” and one father said that his views and his daughter’s views of of “traditional family” were being pushed into a minority.

The NSW Education Minister, Adrian Piccoli, directed the school to not show the film during school hours, stating that “Schools are not places for political issues to be aired.” and “During school hours we expect them to be doing maths and English and curriculum matters. This movie is not part of the curriculum and that’s why I’ve made that direction.”

The film, directed by former student Maya Newell, follows the lives of several children being raised by same-sex parents. The stories told in the documentary carry an extremely important message about the diversity of families and tells the story from the children’s perspectives. The school has stated that the event is part of Safe Schools Coalition NSW, a program about taking a stand against homophobia.

Gayby Baby played at the Sydney Film Festival in June to sold out crowds.