Support group for trans and gender diverse parents and carers set up in Melbourne

As rainbow families continue to grow around Australia, the needs of trans, gender diverse, and non-binary parents and carers are becoming increasingly important.

Felicity Marlowe from Rainbow Families Victoria identified this a while ago, through her work with rainbow families.

She says the lack of resources addressing some of the specific needs faced by trans, gender diverse, and non-binary parents and carers has meant that some parents feel isolated or struggle to find the information they need to support their families.

“When people approached us with questions around whether we knew of any parenting support groups, we decided to fill the gap by starting a group ourselves,” she says.

The new meetup group will specifically be for parents and carers who identify as trans, gender diverse, or non-binary, with babies welcome to attend as well.

The event will take place on the third Saturday of every month, with a calendar of events to be discussed at the first meetup this month.

Marlowe says the needs of trans, gender diverse, and non-binary parents and carers are just as diverse as their families.

At the initial get together she plans to discuss a range of concerns such as coming out as gender diverse to your family of origin, becoming a rainbow families when one parent transitions, coming out to your kids as trans, and working out who to talk to about fertility preservation.

“I hope the meetups will be a chance for our trans, gender diverse, and gender non-binary parents and carers to connect with each other and address some of the social isolation some parents have told us they are facing,” she says.

“Each meetup will be facilitated and additional support material will be provided to everyone attending.”

The free meetups will be held on the third Saturday of every month at Hares & Hyenas bookshop in Fitzroy from 10am to midday. Email [email protected] for more details.