UPDATE (01/2020): Since the year-long merger trial period in 2019, we realized the independence required to fulfill the “by COLAGErs for COLAGErs” cornerstone of the COLAGE mission made a merger untenable. To learn more, click here.
In the Summer of 2018, we shared the news that Family Equality Council and COLAGE would be joining forces, and we’re excited to share this update on our progress toward merging our operations and programming.
Earlier this year, Kaley Fry, COLAGE’s lead national staff-person formally joined the Family Equality team as Director of COLAGE Programming, and we added Amanda Barry-Moilanen to the team as the 2019 COLAGE Marketing and Programming Fellow. We also welcomed COLAGE Board Chair Jamie Bergeron as a member of the Family Equality Council Board of Directors.
With COLAGE operating as a program of Family Equality Council and with the formal merger process moving ahead smoothly, we’re all looking forward to being together again in person at Family Week 2019! This will be our 25th Family Week gathering in Provincetown, and we couldn’t be more excited to be marking this anniversary by strengthening and expanding COLAGE programming. We see COLAGE programs as a critical component of delivering on Family Equality Council’s mission of supporting everyone who is part of an LGBTQ+ family.
We’re excited to see COLAGE programming reach even more people with LGBTQ+ parents and caregivers, and are already seeing the benefits of closer collaboration. As Director of COLAGE Programming, Kaley now has the administrative and interpersonal support of the full 25-person strong Family Equality team, and can lean on Family Equality’s communication and policy teams to create new opportunities for COLAGEr youth advocacy. Family Equality’s National Network of LGBTQ Family Groups now includes over 100 members, and we are looking forward to deepening COLAGE’s relationship with this Network to increase access to COLAGE programming for individuals with LGBTQ+ parents/caregivers across the country
As always, if you have questions about the merger process and the future of COLAGE programming as a part of Family Equality Council, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Amanda Hopping-Winn, Chief Program Officer
The Rev. Stan J. Sloan, Chief Executive Officer
Click here for more information about COLAGE programming at Family Equality Council