Share Your Family Story to Celebrate #LGBTQFamiliesDay

We're seeking a few good individuals!   

For over 20 years, Rainbow Families has been the region's most significant source of support, events, and education for LGBTQ+ families and prospective families.

As a non-profit organization,  Board Members serve on predetermined term lengths, and as those terms expire we invite new people to join our Board.  This ensures continuity and a healthy, well-run organization.

What are we looking for?  Passion for the LGBTQ+ family community.  A commitment to diversity and inclusion.  And your unique talent - Fundraising?  Accounting?  Marketing?  Training?  Lots of great contacts?    A desire to make a difference?

Sounds interesting, but...  Don't worry, we won't bite!  Let's talk about it.  Answer this quick questionnaire, and one of our fantastic Board Members will be in touch!

We have new openings coming up this summer!

The Rainbow Families Board of Directors and Staff are delighted to announce the launch of our College Scholarship Program.

In the coming weeks, we will provide more information including what scholarships are available and how to apply.

Plans are to present the scholarship awards at our Fall Fundraising Gala in November.

Business Owners!   Supporting higher-education for our youth is a fantastic investment!  Scholarships are presented in the name of each Corporate Sponsor;  please consider funding a Rainbow Families college scholarship in your company's name.  EMAIL our Executive Director for more info!

We are excited about our new relationship with Great Wolf Resorts, and particularly their Williamsburg VA property.

We have a Rainbow Families weekend scheduled for November 1st, and have been given a huge discounted rate just for us...$150 per night plus tax (the normal rate is around $280).   This is open to members, allies, relatives, BFFs, chosen family.  This will be a true family fun weekend.  

Info HERE

Rainbow Families relies on the selfless generosity of our partners, volunteers, and donors.  Without them, we couldn't provide the services our community finds so valuable. 

Today we recognize just one of those volunteers:   Dr. Julie Bindeman, PSY-D.     

Dr.  Bindeman's  DC-area practice specializes in reproductive challenges (infertility, pregnancy loss, post-partum issues) depression, anxiety, self image, and more.    She runs our monthly Conception Support Group, now with the highest regular attendance ever.   Hats off to Dr. Bindeman with our sincere gratitude for all you do.

Dr Bindeman can be reached at 301-468-4849

November is National Adoption Month! Join Rainbow Families on for Adoption Information Night for LGBTQ+ prospective parents. This event starts at 7 PM at the DC Center for the LGBT Community.   Thanks to the wonderful folks at the DC Center for hosting this annual event.

If you have considered parenthood, and have thought about adoption as a path-to-parenthood, then this event is for you! Come learn about domestic infant adoption, older child adoption, and foster-to-adopt. Meet other LGBTQ+ parents who are going through the adoption process. FREE information and inspiration! No commitment necessary!

Rainbow Families is committed to providing our community with a wide variety of services - including support, advocacy, education and information.   Along these lines, we identified a need for some legal perspective on issues that affect our LGBTQ+ family community.

(CLICK THE TOPIC HEADER TO READ MORE)

Michele Zavos, long-standing LGBTQ+ activist and attorney, will be providing a twice-monthly legal column for Rainbow Families.  

Read her introduction here.  

Thoughts from Michele

Hello all – This is the first installment of my bi-weekly legal column for Rainbow Families. For those of you who don’t know me, I am an attorney who has been working in and for our community for almost 40 years. My firm, Zavos Juncker Law Group, PLLC, practices in MD, DC and VA. I started the first Maybe Baby group with my then partner in 1982 and our daughter was born in 1985. I built the second-parent adoption practice in DC and MD in 1994, when these adoptions were first allowed. I have done over 1000 adoptions in those two jurisdictions, and my firm does so called
“step-parent “ adoptions in Virginia.   I  helped the DC City Council change laws to benefit our community with regard to divorce and adoption, and I have represented thousands of clients in my career, many of them in our community.    My passion has always been our families.  

In this column I intend to keep you up-to-date on the law, where I see it going, and how you and your family can protect yourselves in this dangerous political environment. 

 Stay tuned! Michele

Supreme Court rebuffs Catholic agency seeking to reject LGBT couples

August 31, 2018 at 1:41 pm EDT | by Chris Johnson   Reposted from Washington Blade

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to take action in a case in which a taxpayer-funded Catholic adoption agency is seeking a First Amendment right to deny child placement to LGBT homes for religious reasons.

In an order handed down Thursday in the case of Fulton v. Philadelphia, the court announced it wouldn’t grant injunctive relief to Catholic Social Services, which is contesting a Philadelphia policy barring anti-LGBT discrimination among adoption agencies.

Rainbow Families is delighted to announce a regular support group for LGBTQ+ people investigating Assisted Reproductive Technology as part of their family planning process.

For more info, dates, times, and to register....Please see "Upcoming Events"  or click here! 

Opera in the Outfield is a FREE family-friendly event that the entire DC and surrounding community will enjoy. The event takes place on Saturday, September 29 at Nationals Park, and will broadcast the Washington National Opera performing The Barber of Seville, along with pre-opera activities that include a costume shop, instrument meet and greet, and more. Tickets are first come, first served....find more information here