Mark your calendars for Rainbow Families' Signature Events in 2026. We are excited to share our slate of family programming for 2026 and hope you can join us at our upcoming events. These are not all of our 2026 events, but they are our signature events that many of you love and enjoy.

2026 Rainbow Families Save the Date Events:

• Saturday, February 7th - Valentine's Craft Party
• Friday March 20 - Sunday, March 22 - Great Wolf Lodge, Baltimore Weekend
• Saturday, March 28th - Cherry Blossom Kite Festival Meet-Up
• Friday, April 3rd - Sunday, April 5th - Tent-Only Camping Trip
• Saturday, May 16th - Family Conference & Gathering
• Saturday, June 20th - DC Capital Pride Parade
• Saturday, September 5th - Monday, September 7th - Family Camping Weekend
• Sunday, September 27th - Hillwood Family Picnic
• Sunday, November 8th - Cox Farms' Fall Festival
• Monthly Playdates
• Educational Webinars
• Virtual Support Groups

Click here to see our upcoming events.

Dear Rainbow Families Supporters, Let me tell you a story to show you how deeply meaningful your support of our work is and what your contributions make possible for our families. Like many Rainbow Families members, Tyler and Erik’s story starts with Maybe Baby. They originally got together, in large part, because they both wanted to have kids. And like many of us, they looked around and thought: “okay, but how do we even do that?” Enter Rainbow Families. They came to Maybe Baby and Rainbow Families wondering less about the “maybe.” “We used to joke that Maybe Baby was more ‘How to Baby’ for us! Because we knew, ‘yes, baby’ for us, but we had no idea how!”, in their words. And they found—just as so many do—that Rainbow Families is far more than an information hub. It’s a community. “There were a couple of couples that we met during Maybe Baby that we have stayed very close to until this day. The community aspect of Maybe Baby was huge!” – Erik “We didn’t really know anyone who was going through the process at the time, so to build that community for our son to see families that are like ours was huge and is why we have stayed connected to Rainbow Families.” – Tyler

This is what your support makes possible. For 40 years, our members have said the same thing in different ways: Rainbow Families is where love has always had a home, and where connection and community sit at the heart of everything we do. Can we count on you to help us reach our $15,000 fundraising goal by December 31st by making a gift to keep this work going strong into 2026? Erik said it better than I could: “In the very politically charged times we are in right now, Rainbow Families becomes that space where you can develop friendships and find community.” That’s where the magic of our work shines brightest—and what your contribution helps preserve during uncertain times. Programs like Maybe Baby and our dozens of events, support groups, playdates, conferences, camps, and gatherings give families the chance to come together and build a real community where it otherwise wouldn’t exist. Can you make a gift to Rainbow Families now and help us hit our goal? Like so many parents in our community, Tyler and Erik started their journey with us—side-by-side with the other “maybes”—and found a place to call home with families like theirs. I think this quote from Tyler sums it up best: “There is no other organization that is doing what Rainbow Families is doing. Creating meaningful relationships as an adult is difficult. So to have an outlet like Rainbow Families is great! Our process to this point and what we have as a family would not have ever been possible without the support of the organization and the resources you provide.” This is what your support makes possible. We truly couldn’t do any of it without you. Warmly, Ted Lewis

Rainbow Families supports all LGBTQ+ parents, but we often get questions, asking if bisexual and pansexual parents can join if they are in a relationship with the opposite sex; appearing heterosexual as a couple. The answer is a resounding YES! Today, December 8th, is Pansexual Pride Day and Rainbow Families is celebrating all our pansexual and bisexual parents and family members. Pansexual and bisexual people do not lose their identity simply for being in a relationship that appears heterosexual to others. We welcome you here at Rainbow Families and we hope you feel welcomed at our events!

Happy Pansexual Pride Day!

Rainbow Families continues to strive to meet the unique needs of ALL LGBTQ+ prospective parents, current parents, and families. In 2022, several of our members gathered at our Annual Conference & Family Gathering and formed QPOCX or Queer Parents of Color Connection, a sub-group within Rainbow Families for Black, Indigenous, and other Parents of Color (BIPOC) to connect. The QPOCX group within Rainbow Families celebrates the racial and ethnic diversity of our community and hosts events to highlight BIPOC LGBTQ+ families and their unique needs. The QPOCX group is currently co-chaired by Ash & Shay, two of our fabulous board members and the group is always looking for new ideas for events and activities. If you have ideas for the QPOCX group, please email us at info@rainbowfamilies.org.

We hope you'll join Rainbow Families' QPOCX Group for our upcoming event this Saturday, December 6th 12:00 - 3:00 PM at the Boros' Winter Wonderland in Tyson's Virginia. Click here to learn more and register.

The holidays can be a joyous and wonderful time for many of us, but it can also be a difficult time for many. Rainbow Families offers several virtual support groups for LGBTQ+ parents and prospective parents all at no charge for current members. Check out the upcoming offerings:

Expecting & New Parent Support Group
Sundays 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM 
January 4th, February 1st, and March 1st
Facilitated by Integrative Therapy of Greater Washington
Click here to register.

Pre-Conception Support Group
Sundays 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM 
January 4th, February 1st, and March 1st
Facilitated by Integrative Therapy of Greater Washington
Click here to Register.

Single Parent by Choice Support Group
Thursdays 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM 
January 8th, February 5th, and March 5th
Facilitated by a licensed therapist from Lavender Therapy
Click here to register.

Grief & Loss Support Group
Tuesdays 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
January 27th, February 24th, and March 31st
Facilitated by a deacon in The Episcopal Church
Click here to Register.

Divorced & Separated Support Group
Mondays 8:00 PM
December 1st, last session of 2025 and will restart in February 2026
Click here to register.

This week is Trans Awareness Week ending on Thursday, November 20th, which is Transgender Day of Remembrance and Resilience. This week we honor those transgender people we have lost to violence, be that intimate-partner violence, state-sanctioned violence, or even suicide. Learn more about those we have lost this year from the Trans Remembrance Project - https://www.transremembrance.org/. 

On Wednesday, November 19th at 7:00 PM, Rainbow Families will join the Chevy Chase United Methodist Church in a special Trans Day of Remembrance Service. We hope you will join us.

Today, November 10, 2025, the US Supreme Court has rejected a challenge that could have overturned the landmark 2015 in Obergefell v. Hodges decision that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. 

Read more here:

• "U.S. Supreme Court denies hearing in Kim Davis's marriage equality challenge" by Christopher Wiggins, The Advocate
  
  
• "Supreme Court rejects Kim Davis's effort to overturn landmark marriage ruling." by Joe Reberkenny, The Washington Blade
  

As of today, Monday, November 3rd, the US Government is still shutdown. We know many of our Rainbow Families are impacted by these actions and may be in need of resources:

Resources for the Government Shutdown

• Washington, DC Department of Employment Services - Resources for Impacted Federal Workers

• State of Maryland - Maryland Workers Impacted by Recent Federal Actions

• City of Alexandria, Virginia - Federal Government Shutdown Information & Resources

• Arlington, Virginia - Federal Government Shutdown Resources

• Fairfax County, Virginia - Federal Government Shutdown Impacts & Resources

• Loudoun County, Virginia - Resources for Federal Workforce

• Prince William County, Virginia - Resources for Residents Impacted by Federal Workforce Actions

• Federal Employee Education & Assistance Fund - Government Shutdown: Resources for Federal Civilian Employees

• Partnership for Public Service - Resources for Federal Employees

• AFL-CIO - State Resources for Shutdown-Impacted Federal Employees and Contractors

The Advocate reported last week that the US Supreme Court will decide on November 7th if they will take up a case that challenges same-sex marriage being legal across the United States. Many in our community are rightfully nervous about what the US Supreme Court will do and how we can protect our marriages and our families. Rainbow Families is closely following the case and will provide updates to our members as they come.

This is also why our Town Hall: Conversations about Our Families, Our Schools, and Our Mental Health on November 15th. We want to provide our members with up-to-date information on how to protect our marriages and our parental rights. This is why we are so honored to have Summer Abel, a lawyer who specializes in LGBTQ+ family law, join us to share steps families can take to safeguard our rights. While we are fortunate that most of the school districts in DC, Maryland, and northern Virginia have had LGBTQ+ inclusive policies that recognize our families, they are being attacked and undermined by the federal Department of Education. This is why we are collaborating with the Human Rights Campaign's Welcoming Schools program to share how parents can fight for inclusive policies in their schools. All of this has taken a toll on many of our mental health and we need to build up our resiliency. This is why we will have a panel of mental health experts to share strategies to keep us sane through this trying time. We can do this together!

We hope you'll join us for our Town Hall on Saturday, November 15th. Click here to learn more and register (free for members) - https://rainbowfamiliesdc.org/event-6361794.

Rainbow Families' Town Hall is Sponsored by Toler Financial Group

Why is Rainbow Families prioritizing school advocacy at our Town Hall?

The answer is simple; we need to. The DMV area has been fortunate to have so many LGBTQ+ inclusive public school districts in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia. We are grateful for the inclusive policies and practices that many of the public school districts have put in place. However, those inclusive policies are under threat and our hope is to equip our Rainbow Families' members with resources and tools to fight for our families to be represented in our schools' curriculum, in library books, and with inclusive policies for LGBTQ+ students, faculty, staff, and parents. 

We are grateful to have Cheryl Greene, who leads HRC's Welcoming Schools program attend our Town Hall on November 15th. Cheryl has been leading on LGBTQ+ inclusion in schools across the country for years and brings a wealth of experience and tactics we can use right here in our communities. Cheryl will be presenting new resources from HRC that outline what inclusive policies we should be fighting for, how to gauge the inclusiveness of your school, and how to make a difference with your school board.

Don't miss this important Town Hall discussion on November 15th! Which is now free for all Rainbow Families' members.  Click here to register today!