FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 20, 2015
The event will unite 500 LGBTQ-headed families from across the globe
Provincetown, MA — Family Equality Council, the national organization that represents the country’s 3 million LGBTQ parents and their 6 million children, is putting the final touches on this year’s Family Week, which runs from July 25 to August 1 in Provincetown, Massachusetts, on the iconic Cape Cod.
“We’re always excited for Family Week, but this year it comes on the heels of the Supreme Court’s historic ruling for marriage equality, so we have even more reasons to celebrate,” said Gabriel Blau, Executive Director of Family Equality Council. “More than five hundred LGBTQ-headed families will gather, share stories and further develop their communities. And it gives children from all over the world the chance to meet other kids whose families are like theirs.”
Family Week — produced with partner COLAGE (the only national organization for and by people with LGBTQ parents) — began 20 years ago when a small group of gay dads and lesbian moms, eager to find and bond with other families like theirs, gathered on the beach.
“The first time we were in Provincetown, we were enchanted,” recalled Scott Davenport, a Family Week co-founder. “We’d go to the beach everyday and bump into other families with kids. At end of the week, we hosted a little BBQ with the 20 families that had connected over the course of the week. At some point, we turned to each other and said, ‘There’s something here’.”
Two decades later, the event features gatherings from sunrise to sundown all week, from Kidapalooza (for those ages 3-8) to youth empowerment programs (for those ages 8-18) to meet-ups for members of Family Equality Council’s Outspoken Generation — a program in which those with LGBTQ parents (typically teenagers and young adults) share experiences and build friendships.
“Family Week is like coming home for me,” said Emily McGranachan, East Coast Regional Manager at Family Equality Council, who first attended at age 13 with her moms (this will be her 11th Family Week). “The community not only understands and accepts my family in all our complexities, but also celebrates us.”
In addition to Davenport, several other LGBTQ luminaries will be in Provincetown to help mark the 20th anniversary:
— Attorney Roberta Kaplan, author of the upcoming book, “Then Comes Marriage: United States v. Windsor and the Fight for Gay Marriage,” will be a guest at several signature events alongside Edie Windsor, Kaplan’s lead plaintiff in the landmark case United States v. Windsor, which brought down section three of the Defense of Marriage Act
— Lesléa Newman, author of the classic “Heather Has Two Mommies” (which is having its own 25th anniversary), will do a live book reading at the Parent Cafe
— Marc Solomon, National Campaign Director at Freedom to Marry, will do a live book reading from “Winning Marriage” at the Parent Cafe
Families will also enjoy recurring favorite activities, such as the Children’s Movie Night & PJ Party, the Multi-Racial Families Ice Cream Social, the Beach Picnic and Campfire, and the “State of the Movement” discussion featuring Blau and Emily Hecht-McGowan, Director of Public Policy at Family Equality Council.
“The week is both stimulating and just plain fun,” said Brent Wright, Director of Programs at Family Equality Council. “The event gives LGBTQ-headed families a chance to create lifelong bonds and renew their commitment to community-building. And the kids will never forget the bouncy castle in the center of town!”
For interviews with Family Equality Council executives, contact Media Manager Bradley Jacobs at 917-324-8771 or via email at bjacobs@familyequality.org.
For a day-by-day schedule of Family Week, visit: https://dev-fec.pantheonsite.io/get_involved/events/annual_events/family_week/
What’s next after marriage equality? See our post-marriage Family Values Forward platform: www.familyequality.org/familyvaluesforward
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About Family Equality Council: Family Equality Council connects, supports, and represents the three million parents who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer in this country today and their six million children of all ages. We are changing attitudes and policies to ensure that all families are respected, loved, and celebrated—including families with parents who are LGBTQ. We are a community of parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren that reaches across this country. For over 30 years we have raised our children and raised our voices toward fairness for all families.
Contact: Bradley Jacobs, Media Manager
917-324-8771
bjacobs@familyequality.org