Josephine Skriver Opens Up About Her Gay Parents

Victoria's Secret Model Josephine Skriver will be the first to tell you that IVF children are not science experiments. In an interview with i-D, Skriver opens up about having gay parents and expresses her concern for those facing judgement because of how they were born. “I am not synthetic,” she says, “I am a real human being. I am just as real as you are.”

The Dutch model joined forces with the Family Equality Council's Outspoken Generation program last April, encouraging those with gay parents to spread positive awareness by telling their stories. During an interview with Elle magazine in April of 2014, Skriver briefly discussed her own experience growing up with a lesbian mother and gay father.

The Dutch model truly is an inspiration as she actively uses her model status for the greater good. "When you get the opportunity to have a platform," Skriver tells i-D, "I think it is your obligation to use it." By opening up about her wonderful experience growing up with gay parents in a happy, healthy household, she continues to spread awareness regarding the different variations of families we see today and why it is important to put a stop to judgement and encourage acceptance.

Ironically enough, it was not until Skriver started to travel for her modeling career that she realized the unfortunate amount of bullying and negativity toward gay families and IVF children. The worst of it, she says, is a result of social media.

Social media is where it gets really hard with the hate. It's the one place where people can say whatever they want without consequences. You get so many 'that's disgusting,' 'that's gross,' 'I feel bad for you,' 'oh my God, I can't even believe it.' It comes from a place I don't understand. And what is hard about the internet, and what is hard about social media, is I can't talk back.

Josephine Skriver is using her platform as a model to spread positive awareness for children growing up within the gay community, and that's a wonderful thing.