Prospective parents, families and kids — no matter your household makeup, Rainbow Families has you covered at its second annual virtual LGBTQ+ Family Conference this weekend.

This year’s conference, “Forward, Together…,” will offer a variety of resources, workshops and special guests like the Indigo Girls and Congressman Mondaire Jones, who is this year’s “Hero of the Year” and keynote speaker. Rainbow Families is one of the nation’s few non-profit organizations educating and empowering LGBTQ families, parents, and prospective parents.

“The theme of ‘Forward, Together…’ represented hope, to honor where we’ve been and what we’ve been through,” said Darren Paul-Vance, executive director of Rainbow Families. “And yet we still went through this year-plus, solid as a community, strong and motivated to make change.”

The conference will operate under a “come and go” model, Paul-Vance said, and will include events for kids and a silent auction. Attendees can select which programs suit their needs to avoid sitting in front of a screen all weekend, he said.

The cost of admission is reduced to $44 for two participants due to donations to the organization and the lack of in-person accommodations like meals and daycare. If families cannot afford the price, participants can email [email protected] to get the fee waived, Paul-Vance said.

“The economic hardship is by no means over for a vast majority of people,” he said. “All they have to do is reach out to us in confidence.”

Despite the event being virtual for the second year in a row, the incoming Rainbow Families board president and current Vice President Liz Dean said she’s excited to bring the digital conference to communities across the United States, especially where LGBTQ health care is not accessible.

“We’re offering our workshops and giving an overview of different elements of creating or starting or growing a family that you might not have access to in different parts of the country or the world,” she said.

Coming from an LGBTQ family himself, Paul-Vance knows first-hand the importance of resources and programming for LGBTQ families.

“We continuously hear from people how significant and powerful having these opportunities to be in safe spaces,” he said.

Rainbow Families began the Hero of the Year recognition three years ago to recognize revolutionary work in the LGBTQ community. Past honorees include local LGBTQ family law attorney, Michele Zavos; and Ellen Kahn, the senior director of programs and partnerships at the Human Rights Campaign.

Since beginning his tenure in January, Rep. Jones has introduced legislation aimed at supporting at-risk LGBTQ youth and reintroduced the Universal Child Care and Early Learning Act, which would establish a network of federally supported, locally administered child care options.

Jones said he’s honored to receive the award at this year’s LGBTQ Family Conference.

“Every LGBTQ+ family deserves the right to grow, and Rainbow Families works tirelessly to ensure that LGBTQ parents receive the support they need by offering educational programs, support groups, and so much more,” Jones wrote in an emailed statement to the Blade. “While we’ve made great strides toward true equality, our work is far from over. I’m so grateful to have partners like Rainbow Families in the fight to affirm justice for all LGBTQ+ people and families.”

The first Black and gay congressman along with fellow Democrat Ritchie Torres, Paul-Vance said Jones’s “existence at the table is revolutionary.”

“For many, he gives representation and voice to those who’ve had none,” Paul-Vance said. “He is radical. We’ve coined radicalism as a bad thing, but where would we be without radical leaders — especially queer ones.”

The Rainbow Families LGBTQ+ Family conference is set to feature 25 live workshop discussions on Saturday and a digital expo, school fair and kids programs on Sunday.

Tara Cheston, the LGBTQ and sexual health program specialist for D.C. Public Schools, will host the workshop, “Collaborating for Change: Finding, Accessing, and Advocating for LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Schools” at the school fair Sunday at 2 p.m.

Cheston will give her insider perspective to parents and caregivers on how to more effectively advocate for children in school and share what resources are available. She said she’s looking forward to collaborating with Rainbow Families, a frequent partner at DCPS resource fairs.

“It’s an opportunity for us to collaborate and create more of that intentional focus on parent caregiver outreach, so that folks feel supported and know where to go for information and resources,” Cheston said.

Dr. Jessica Fish, an assistant professor at the School of Public Health at the University of Maryland, will present a workshop, “Parenting Strategies to Support our LGBTQ+ Youth” on Saturday at 3:40 p.m.

In the workshop, Fish will provide tips for parents to have honest, educational and caring conversations with their LGBTQ kids about growing up and making positive choices in the outside world.

Laura Jones, a therapist in the District, will host the workshop, “Reviewing & Renewing Our Ideas of ‘Health'” and will address issues like body image and diet culture at 2:20 p.m. on Saturday.

In her practice, Jones specializes in eating disorders and gender identity and works in expanding treatment to better support marginalized identities. Jones discovered Rainbow families a few years ago and wanted to give back to the organization by presenting a workshop, she said.

“My wife and I are in the middle of family planning, and we’ve hit multiple obstacles,” Jones said. “It’s nice to know that we’re not alone.”

Sara Mindel, also a therapist in the area, will lead the workshop, “The In’s and Out’s of YELLING (for all ages!)” at 2:20 p.m. on Saturday. Mindel served on the Rainbow Families board of directors previously, as well.

“Living in the pandemic has created a pressurized system for so many folks,” Mindel said. “I’m hoping to spend the workshop time talking about what it means to even lower or lessen our relationship with yelling, and what it means to find different strategies, other than yelling so we can be effective and communicating boundaries.”

Rainbow Families delayed the conference in May 2020 like many other organizations at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic to shift events to digital platforms. That effort in development last year helped the team develop this year’s programs, Paul-Vance said.

“There is a great deal that’s different about the scheduling because of doing it virtually, and that does take a great deal of careful attention,” he said.

Paul-Vance took on the role of executive director in December 2017 after undergoing an organ transplant due to kidney failure. This was “life-changing,” he said, and decided he wanted to turn his passion for LGBTQ rights and issues into a job after working in the entertainment travel industry.

Taking on the role of executive director “was the best decision, professionally, that I’ve made,” he said.

Rainbow Families also offers year-round programs like support groups, programs for kids and families and “Maybe Baby,” a multi-week course for prospective LGBTQ+ parents that educates on topics like adoption and assisted reproduction, financial and legal issues and how to build a support network.

To learn more about the Rainbow Families LGBTQ+ Family Conference, visit rainbowfamilies.org.

Darren Paul-Vance (left), Alex Paul (middle), John Paul (right). (Photo courtesy of Darren Paul-Vance)