Pennsylvania’s Physician General, Dr. Rachel Levine, will keynote Philadelphia Family Pride’s 6th Annual Family Matters Conference for LGBTQ parented-families on October 17th. There are lots of other fun and informative family events planned for the day, too!
Dr. Levine is the highest ranking out transgender woman in Pennsylvania’s state government. She is also a professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at the Penn State College of Medicine, and was the Grand Marshal of this year’s Philly Pride Parade.
The conference will be held at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s main campus. Linda Hawkins, co-director of the Gender and Sexuality Development Clinic at the hospital, said in a press release, “The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is committed to supporting all families and providing the best care possible to heal children and families. This includes our LGBTQ patients and families. We are honored to be partnering with Philly Family Pride on this important conference.”
The theme for 2015 is “Mind, Body and Soul,” and will cover a wide variety of topics on how parents can take care of themselves and their kids. The nine planned workshops and panels are:
- Handling the Hard Stuff: Navigating Conversations with Our Kids about our LGBTQ Families, in Good Times and Bad
- Demystifying Meditation and Mindfulness: How breathing and taking a few minutes for yourself can make you a better parent and partner
- For Goodness Sakes: Strategies for Parenting Tweens and Teens
- LGBTQ Parents Guide to Choosing the Best Providers for your Family
- Did that person REALLY just say that to me? — Tactics for transracial families in responding to biased comments
- LGBTQ Fun Family Vacations and Outings – Gender Roles and Parenting Discussion
- Understanding Marriage in Changing Times: A Legal Update
- Intersectionality: Race, Sexuality, and Faith
- New this year is a “Treat Yourself” room to give parents a chance to relax and unwind with other parents of similar aged-kids. There will be the opportunity to try acupuncture, get a chair massage or just chat with other parents in an unstructured, relaxing environment.
Prospective LGBTQ parents are welcome at all workshops, but there will be four sessions specifically for them:
- The ART of Babymaking: Assisted Reproduction Technology
- Adoption Options
- Do It Yourself Babymaking Dos and Dont’s – Flourishing Through Fertility and Adoption Setbacks
In addition, PFP will provide on-site child care and programming for babies, toddlers and kids up to age 15 for those pre-registering before October 3.
Philadelphia Family Pride (PFP) is a non-profit, volunteer-run, membership organization for LGBTQ parents, prospective parents, and their families, with over 150 member families in the greater Philadelphia region—but members, non-members, LGBTQ people, and allies are all welcome to the conference.
The cost for PFP members is $20/adult for PFP members and $30/adult for non-members. The fee includes child care, lunch and parking. Scholarships are available. More details and registration information can be found at the conference web page.
Sounds like a great event—and a great excuse to visit Philly, if you’re not in the area already!