LGBTQ+

Parenting Education & Family Support

Oregon Parenting Education Collaborative

Supporting parenting education efforts with LGBTQ+ professionals and families

The Oregon Parenting Education Collaborative (OPEC) stands unflinching in our support for the LGBTQ2SIA+ community. We are committed to ensuring the rights of all LGBTQ2SIA+ children, parents, caregivers, and families to be free from harm, affirmed in who they are, and supported as their authentic selves through inclusive parenting education programs. Read the full statement here.

OPEC works to enhance the capacity and skills of OPEC parenting Hubs and other parenting education partners across Oregon and Siskiyou County, CA as they engage in LGBTQ+ specific parenting education programming and initiatives.

Our vision is that this identity-specific work is led by queer and trans communities and integrated into all aspects of parenting education.

For emails about new supportive resources, updates and OPEC LGBTQ+ Work Group meeting invites, subscribe to the OPEC LGBTQ+ Listserv.

Ongoing projects

Affirming Actions Toolkit

The Affirming Actions Toolkit (last updated February 2026) outlines seven actions individuals and organizations can take to meaningfully support LGBTQ2SIA+ identifying families you serve or professionals with whom you work in parenting education and family support settings.

The Toolkit is a living document and is regularly updated with new resources and examples to support each strategy.

A diagram illustrating seven Affirming Actions: Send messages of support, Train to interrupt biased actions, Increase visible signals of support, Offer LGBTQ+ resources to staff and families, Provide decompression spaces, Protect people's data and privacy, and Share rights and policies.
  

Watch and share the Affirming Actions Toolkit orientation video.

An LGBTQ+ couple smiling and holding a sonogram image, symbolizing family formation and support resources.

Parenting Education Resources

In collaboration with the OPEC LGBTQ+ Work Group, OPEC curates a collection of OPEC-created materials, online resources from other organizations, printable flyers and posters, advocacy reports, research briefs and more.

These materials educate on current evidence and supportive practices for working with LGBTQ+ families and provide examples for affirming programming and advocacy. 

Access resources

An emerging collection of LGBTQ+ family support resources and organizations available in Spanish.

Recursos LGBTQ+ en español o bilingües

OPEC LGBTQ+ Affinity Group

The LGBTQ+ Affinity group is a space for all queer-identifying professionals within early learning and parenting education networks to gather in community.

Our monthly virtual gatherings focus on peer connections, lively discussions, and shared, affirming resources. We also host a number of asynchronous connection opportunities.

First Fridays of the month at noon – 1 p.m. on Zoom

For more information, see the Affinity Group flyer or email us at [email protected]

A woman seated at the center of a white table is speaking to two colleagues. A laptop is open in front of her, and post-it notes are visible on a glass wall in the background.
People participating in an LGBTQ+ pride or support march, with families and allies holding hands.

OPEC LGBTQ+ Work Group

A quarterly Zoom meeting open to all OPEC Hub staff, Hub affiliates or partners, and parenting educators and other family support professionals interested in supporting LGBTQ+ families.

Meetings share timely resources and provide structure for collaborative problem solving and projects. Those who attend agree to follow our group expectations, shared in each meeting invitation.

2025-2026 dates and times:

11:00 AM - 12:30 PM Pacific on Zoom

November 17, 2025
February 2, 2026
May 4, 2026
August 2026 – exact date TBD

For the meeting information, subscribe to our mailing list.

Research

A young child smiling with their two parents, representing a loving LGBTQ+ family and inclusive parenting support.

Community Perspectives on LGBTQ+ Inclusive Parenting Education

Jey Blodgett, PhD., Linse Sullivan, Natalie Gordon, Haley Bossé

PI: Shauna Tominey, Associate Professor, Human Development and Family Sciences at OSU

Using a Community Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR) framework, OPEC and community researchers are conducting research with parenting education professionals to:

  • Identify and explain the individual- and systems-level conditions that foster LGBTQ+ inclusive parenting education programming within the Oregon Parenting Educator's Collaborative (OPEC) network.
  • Identify and explain the individual- and systems-level conditions that create barriers to LGBTQ+ inclusive parenting education programming within the Oregon Parenting Educator's Collaborative (OPEC) network. 

Contact the research team at [email protected]

LGBTQ+ Parenting Resources

Oregon Family Support Network

The Oregon Family Support Network maintains a list of affirming Oregon LGBTQ+ Resources by county, including culturally-specific LGBTQ2SIA+ organizations. 

Family Equality

Family Equality is a national education and advocacy organization for LGBTQ+ families. Of note are their LGBTQ+ family building resources, family law and policy education, and LGBTQ+ parent support groups.

PFLAG

PFLAG is a national family support organization for parents, grandparents, and other caring adults with LGBTQ+ youth. Oregon has several local chapters that host parent support groups and events. PFLAG also hosts groups and resources in Spanish.

Family Acceptance Project

The Family Acceptance Project provides evidence-based family support tools to help diverse families and caregivers learn to support their LGBTQ children.

Articles from OPEC