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Henry Terry (right) talks with ‘Today’ show correspondent Tiki Barber about being raised by gay fathers, including Ted Persky (left).
(Photos courtesy Ted Persky)
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HOME > COMMUNITY > COMMUNITY FEATURE
By: STEPHANIE TOONE
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IT WAS MORE THAN JUST HIS MAKESHIFT version of “The Real World.”
For six weeks, Henry Terry filmed his daily activities at summer camp, the grocery store and in his own bedroom all in the hopes of showing that his life’s not so different than most.
Armed with a hand-held camcorder, the Marietta 11-year-old offered a window into his life that lacked the crafty editing and ulterior motives of the average MTV reality television show.
NBC’s “Today” show will air a six-minute segment on Henry’s life as the child of same-sex parents. Henry’s footage and interviews revealed some aspects of his life as child of gay divorced parents.
When Henry’s father, Ted Persky, told him that he would be able to film his life and would be interviewed by “Today” show correspondent Tiki Barber, his first response was excitement.
“It was so much fun filming, especially at camp,” Henry said. “I would usually describe my day or talk about if my parents made me mad.”
Henry took his impending network television debut in stride.
Persky, 44, did not take the video diaries of his son’s life as lightly.
“I felt such an enormous responsibility,” Persky said. “We’re just one of several thousand families like us. At times, I questioned why I did this. This was going to air out my divorce to six million people.”
IN JULY, AN ACQUAINTANCE SENT OUT a message on a gay/lesbian e-mail list stating that the “Today” show was looking for same-sex parents. Early on, Persky was warned that his complex family makeup would not fit into the gay family prototype.
Persky and two of his four adopted sons, Henry and Eric Terry, 8, moved to Marietta in August 2006.
Persky and his ex-partner adopted the brothers from foster care in 2002. The family lived in San Diego together until 2005. His ex-partner Scott and sons, Emilio, 16, and Alex, 15, moved to Fort Worth, Texas, after Scott and Ted broke up.
“She [the acquaintance] said, ‘Don’t even waste your time if you’re not a couple,’” Persky said. “I described my family to the producers in an e-mail and in a couple of hours they e-mailed me saying they were interested.”
Persky compares his brood to the 1980s Benetton advertisements — referring to the multicultural makeup of his family. The diversity within the family was one of the things that made them stand out, Persky said.
By August, “Today” show correspondent Tiki Barber and a camera crew came down to Marietta to interview Henry and his family. Producers also traveled to Fort Worth to look into all aspects of Henry’s life.
His brother Alex Terry, 15, said he enjoyed talking about Henry, but he realized what the footage would reveal.
“It’s sort of bad that we’re not together,” Alex Terry said. “It does show that we’re not any different from any other family. Some families get along and some don’t.”
In Henry’s video confessionals, he spoke of the good and bad aspects of his life.
Producers asked Persky not to view Henry’s footage in the “confessional.”
“Sometimes Henry used it as a power tool. I resented it at times,” Persky said. “Besides those issues, I’m really glad we did it. It really shows the whole point that we face the same things as parents just like any other heterosexual parents.”
NETWORK TELEVISON NEEDED TO SHOW a family like Henry’s, said “Today” show producer Sabrina Clay.
“The issue of gay rights remains a hot topic in this country,” Clay said in an e-mail. “So, why not choose a kid whose life embodies the very essence of the next natural step when a gay couple gets together.”
Henry’s segment is one in a three-part NBC News series, “Through Innocent Eyes.” Clay said that, like the other two families, audiences would identify with Henry’s “non-traditional” family.
“They’re a family that’s complicated, flawed, loving and constantly trying to be just like traditional families,” Clay said.
Henry did not enter the Persky-Terry household with an understanding of same-sex parenting, Persky said.
Henry, at one point, believed his fathers were roommates. He soon embraced his unconventional family.
Henry’s openness and wisdom was remarkable, Clay said.
“He understands that not everyone will be supportive of his family, and he’s OK with that,” she said.
Henry said he’s not afraid of what ...
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