Welcome to Rainbow Families
The Rainbow Families Council is a volunteer community organisation that aims to ensure equality for rainbow families (parents, partners and prospective parents who identify as being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex, and their children). We invite you to get informed, get support and get active!
WHAT'S NEW
- Rainbow Families Newsletter June 2009 - click here for the latest news on the activities of the RFC, updates on law reform, events, and other news.
- Rainbow Families Conference Under Construction: The next Rainbow Families Conference will be held on Saturday 27 February 2010. If you would like to suggest topics for workshops, presentation or special sessions click on this link and fill in our Conference Suggestion Form.
Click Here to take survey and suggest topics. - Rainbow Families Inclusive Project: Assisting Early Childhood Services become inclusive of Rainbow Families. We are seeking your ideas, personal stories and experiences to assist us in developing this new resource. The new resource may include an online booklet, posters, stickers; fact sheets… the ideas are endless. If you would like to share your ideas about how to assist these services become more inclusive or share your personal experience of early childhood services being inclusive or not being inclusive we would love you to fill in our online survey - click here…
- CENTRELINK CHANGES 2009: From 1 July 2009, Centrelink customers who are in a same-sex de facto relationship will be recognised as partnered. Rainbow Families Council would like to remind everyone who is receiving a Centrelink payment as a sole parent or single person but who is actually in a same-sex de facto relationship that they must register that relationship with Centrelink from March 30 to June 30. Click here for the latest Federal Government press release about the changes. More info see our page or the Centrelink website, or you can call Centrelink's dedicated line: 13 6280.
- CHANGES TO VICTORIAN LAWS: Law reform that will remove discrimination for same sex couples in accessing Assisted Reproductive Technology and will provide legal recognition for our families was passed by Victorian Parliament in Dec 2008. Brief information can be found here about Victorian Law Reforms 2009
- LAW REFORM PASSES IN PARLIAMENT! 4 Dec 2008: Law reform that will remove discrimination for same sex couples in accessing Assisted Reproductive Technology and will provide legal recognition for our families has been passed by Victorian Parliament! The Assisted Reproductive Treatment Bill was passed by the Upper House on 4 Dec. The record of discussion in the Legislative Council (Upper House) here; and the Bill may also be viewed here. The Rainbow Families Council will be creating a fact sheet shortly to help you understand what these changes mean to you and your family.
- AGM 29th Nov 2008: The (AGM) of the Rainbow Families Council was held on 29 November and a new committee was elected.
- October 2008 The Australian Psychological Society has released a literature review of family studies relevant to lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans parented familes (LGBT families), with a focus on children's well being and best interests. The literature indicates that it is family processes (such as the quality of parenting and relationships within the family) that contribute to determining children's well-being and 'outcomes', rather than family structures per se - such as the number, gender, sexuality and co-habitation status of parents.
