Events
Upcoming events
Rainbow Families Conference 13 Feb 2010: Celebrating our past and future journeys
Rainbow Families Council presents our fourth community conference for same-sex parents, prospective parents, rainbow families and our supporters. Find out about the new federal and state legal reforms. Join workshops and community discussions on creating families, parenting, raising children and new research. Meet other parents and make new friends!
Saturday 13 February 2010
Northcote Town Hall, 189 High St Northcote
9am to 5pm, $85/$50 conc. ($70/$40 for RFC members – join online or on the day), children free.
Rainbow Family Disco 5 to 7pm, $5 including pizza!
KidzKlub Program all day for ages 1-12 (Cha Cha Sam music workshop, circus, art and lots more).
For the conference program and registration form go to our Conference Page. For more info phone 0419 120 663 or email info@rainbowfamilies.org.au
Midsumma Rainbow Families Picnic - 31 Jan
Sunday 31 January 2010 from 11-2pm at Yarraville Gardens. Enjoy the shady trees and fun playground at Yarraville Gardens with other rainbow families of all shapes and sizes. Bring your own picnic basket and rugs and join us for some relaxed family fun. Bring balls and games. All families welcome. Yarraville Gardens, corner Hyde St and Somerville Roads, Yarraville. Details in the Midsumma guide: http://www.midsumma
Pride March - 7 Feb 2010
Pride March Victoria 2010 is on Sunday the 7th of February. The International Theme is One Heart One World One Pride. Assembly (on the corner of Fitzroy Street and Lakeside Drive St Kilda) is from midday and the march will commence at 2pm sharp. Rainbow Families are sixth in line in the march, which is great for families bringing their kids (or their bumps) along on a warm afternoon.
Prospective Lesbian Parents - Monthly Meetings
Meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month, at the Victorian Aids Council, 6 Claremont St, South Yarra. For details of upcoming meetings, see our event calendar, or Prospective Lesbian Parents.
Maybe Baby Melbourne
is a group for prospective gay & lesbian parents. Meetings are an informal get together for a meal/drinks with other lesbians and gay men contemplating parenthood. Networking, guest speakers and more. For details see the Maybe Baby website.
DOWNLOADS
Forms and files from current and previous events
 Conference Program and Registration | downloads: 139 | type: pdf | size: 257 kB |
| Rainbow Families Conference 2010 Poster | downloads: 90 | type: pdf | size: 1 MB |
Poster for RFC Conference Sat 13 Feb 2010 |
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| Symposium proceedings | downloads: 971 | type: pdf | size: 739 kB |
Download proceedings from our Interdisciplinary Symposium, including summaries of keynote speeches on the law, conceptions of kinship and children's rights and rainbow families. |
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 Legal Workshop presentation slides (PPT) | downloads: 587 | type: ppt | size: 691 kB |
Previous events
Rainbow Families Picnic and Love Makes A Family lets pARTy celebration 8 Feb 2009: Our 4th annual family picnic day for all families, prospective parents and friends. We also celebrated the fact that the Victorian Parliament passed the Assisted Reproductive Technology Bill (see below). Sunday 8th Feb 2009, North Fitzroy.
The Rainbow Cha Cha with Cha Cha Sam 2009 - Sat 24 and 31 January 2009 an upbeat and interactive musical cha cha journey over the rainbow. A Rainbow Families Council (RFC) event in partnership with Northcote Town Hall
Kids Zone at Midsumma Carnival - Sun 18 Jan 2009, Alexandra Gardens. Proudly supported by the Rainbow Families Council.
Midsumma Pride March 2009 - 1 Feb 2009, St Kilda
Annual General Meeting 2008: The 2008 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Rainbow Families Council washeld on Saturday 29th November from 2-4pm, at the Clyde Street Community Centre. A new committee was elected for 2009. The formal meeting was followed by an engaging presentation and discussion by Helen Rimington, a renowned expert on building childrens' resilience. Helen spoke on the many strengths of lesbian and gay parented families, the important elements that result in healthy happy kids, the common challenges in rainbow families and some strategies to ensure the family unit stays strong.
Community Workshop A community legal workshop was held on Saturday 13th September 2008 at the Northcote Town Hall. Over thirty people attended to hear a panel of speakers outline the current legislation before Victorian Parliament and explain some of its potential impacts on same-sex parented families. Areas of discussion included recognition of non-biological parents; surrogacy arrangements; birth certificates; access to fertility treatment (ART/IVF) and use of gametes. The presentation is available for viewing in the Downloads section above.
Midsumma 2008 FAIRYTALES WITH A TWIST theatre show The show, targeted towards 3-8 year olds, is produced by Caroline & Philip who are famous for their fairytale shows at the Fitzroy Gardens each Summer.
Free Public Lecture and Interdiscplinary Symposium 2007: These events featured Professor Charlotte Patterson from the University of Virginia, USA, and were held in June 2007. The public lecture provided an opportunity for the community, parents, children, extended family members, professionals and academics to hear from a world leader in research with lesbian and gay parents and their children.
Professor Patterson presented an overview of 25 years of empirical research about children growing up with lesbian and gay parents. This research debunks common myths that children need one mother and one father and that children are somehow disadvantaged growing up in lesbian and gay parented families. It presents the real outcomes for children in our families, bringing into focus the fundamental and critical needs of healthy child development. The Interdisciplinary Symposium addressed important legal, social and health issues affecting rainbow families. Justice Sally Brown from the Family Court of Australia opened the symposium, followed by keynote addresses from Dr Deborah Dempsey, Associate Professor Kristen Walker and Dr John Tobin. A number of roundtable discussions gave participants an opportunity to engage in discussion about key social, legal, health and community issues affecting rainbow families. The event attracted lesbian and gay parents and their families, health and community practitioners, educators and teachers, policy makers, professionals from health, education, legal and welfare sectors, researchers and sociologists. Proceedings of the Symposium can be downloaded above.
