History

Rainbow Kids & Families formed in 2018 when a group of parents and educators came together to advocate for LGBTQIA+ students in local Lawrence, Kansas elementary schools. Although many school staff were supportive, training and support were inconsistent among staff and schools. There were incidents where transgender youth were discouraged from talking about their gender identity with peers and students were misgendered or “dead-named” (called by the name they were given at birth instead of the name that they go by). Schools still used many binary gender practices like lining up boys and girls separately, which can leave non-binary children feeling isolated. Nationally, conversations around policies regarding transgender students’ rights to use a bathroom that aligned with their gender identity were coming to the forefront.

In 2019, Rainbow Kids & Families held their first two mixers where LGBTQIA+ families and allies came together to socialize and celebrate. In the weeks leading up to the mixers, organizers were faced with threats of protests. With a strong counter-protest planned, both mixers were safe and successful.

As the Rainbow Kids & Families community started to grow, it was clear that there was significant change that could be made though such an organization. In 2020, Rainbow Kids & Families applied for Non-Profit status and participated in Transformations Charity Gala, a drag-inspired charity competition. In a night of glitter and love, Rainbow Kids & Families won and became the recipient of $10,000 to help LGBTQIA+ families in Douglas County and surrounding schools.

And the rest, as they say, is history!