LGBT family group Philadelphia Family Pride will host its fourth annual Family Matters Conference next weekend, this time right in the heart of the Gayborhood. The conference will be held 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 19 at the William Way LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce St. PFP is a nonprofit organization that provides a support system for LGBT parents, prospective parents and their children, and the conference offers networking, education and information. The last three annual conferences have been held at Arcadia University, Widener University and Bryn Mawr University. PFP community coordinator Stephanie Haynes said organizers have switched event locations each year to reach out to the organization’s membership across the area. And they’re expecting the first Philly conference to be a success. “We have member families all over the region, so we tend to move our annual events around so that the further-out folks don’t always have to travel as far. Same with the folks in the city,” she said. “It will be nice to have a conference location that is so accessible via public transit. We’re hoping this brings some LGBT folks to the William Way Center who haven’t been there yet or in a while.” Every year, the conference features different themes and this year, it will be organized around Knowing Your Rights and Growing Your Family. Haynes said both themes are useful to attendees, especially for prospective families who want to learn about assisted reproduction and adoption, as well as for those who still have questions regarding marriage equality and tax laws. Haynes said this year’s new theme, Telling Our Stories, will highlight how LGBT families can share their stories with their kids, extended families and the community. “As parents or prospective parents are trying to conceive or waiting to adopt, we tend to find ourselves in situations where we have to come out again, and again and again — whether at the kids’ pediatrician’s office, school or in casual conversations on the playground,” she said. One story that will be shared will be from keynote speaker Cory Silverberg, author of “What Makes a Baby.” Haynes said Silverberg has been instrumental in promoting the importance of storytelling among LGBT-headed families. “His book has filled a void in children’s literature up to this point. It has made the job of answering, ‘Where did I come from?’ so much easier for all families,” she said. “It is so inclusive of how families are created, leaving ample space to discuss gender identity, donors, adoption and single parenthood.” Silverberg will deliver his speech from 9:30-10:15 a.m. Eden’s Way Catering will provide free breakfast from 8:30-9:30 a.m., with registration beginning at that time as well. Tickets are $25 for PFP members and $35 for nonmembers. The price includes breakfast, lunch and childcare. Haynes said one of the main goals for the conference, and all PFP events, is to foster a sense of information-sharing among LGBT parents and prospective parents. “We want to educate our families about important topics that impact their lives like information on marriage equality, tax laws and provide valuable ‘getting-started’ information for prospective parents on adoption, choosing a donor, surrogacy and more —we’ve all been there.” For more information on Philadelphia Family Pride, visit http://philadelphiafamilypride.org.
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