Watch our short video to get an overview of Rainbow Families impact :)

About Rainbow Families

Rainbow Families is the peak organisation supporting LGBTQ+ parents and their children.

We began as a grassroots group of lesbian mums and gay dads looking for connection beyond traditional parenting spaces. As our community grew, we welcomed transgender and other LGBTQ+ parents and carers — and in 2016, Rainbow Families Inc was born.

In 2024, we took a huge step forward, becoming a national organisation. From modest beginnings in NSW, we now bring LGBTQ+ families across Australia under a shared umbrella of support, advocacy and connection.

We’re here so every LGBTQ+ family has the support, community, and resources they need to thrive.

We deliver playgroups, events, antenatal classes, and practical resources. We advocate for policy change to reduce discrimination and promote inclusion — from birth to school and beyond.

Our website is full of community-designed tools — tip sheets, guides, webinars and more — to help LGBTQ+ families live safe, happy lives.

These are just some of the things we’re proud of having achieved:

• Expanded Medicare access
  We successfully advocated for Medicare rebates to be available to LGBTQ+ people accessing fertility treatment — without needing to prove infertility.

• New federal hate crime protections
  After years of advocacy, Australia introduced its first federal hate crime laws protecting LGBTQ+ people from violence and abuse motivated by identity.

• Equality Bill wins in NSW
  We played a key role in the Equality Bill campaign, securing reforms like protections from being outed, better recognition for trans and non-binary parents, and improvements to surrogacy laws.

• Surrogacy & legal parentage reform
  Through our All Kids Are Equal campaign, we continue to push for legal recognition of children born through overseas surrogacy arrangements.

• Love Makes a Family report
  Our landmark research highlighted the barriers LGBTQ+ families face when accessing government services — and helped drive real change.

• Australia’s first LGBTQ+ antenatal class
  Supporting queer parents to feel confident and connected before birth.

• Inclusive Blue Book
  We worked with NSW Health to ensure the Blue Book better reflects same-sex and gender-diverse parents.

• LGBTQ+ playgroups & resilience programs
  Creating safe, inclusive spaces where kids and families can connect, belong and thrive.

• Rolled out diversity and inclusion training in early learning centres
  In partnership with Early Childhood Australia, we developed professional development for educators to talk about family diversity and create inclusive classrooms.

• Inclusive Language Birthing Kit
  Co-created with queer midwives, this resource is now used in hospitals and birth spaces to make the birthing process more inclusive and affirming for LGBTQ+ parents.

With your support, we’ll continue building a stronger, more inclusive Australia for LGBTQ+ parents and their children.

🌈 Donate here - less than 1% of governement funding gors to LGBTQ+ charities - we can't do it wothout you.