This Saturday, Oct. 7, Philadelphia Family Pride will hold its eighth annual conference on issues LGBTQ parents face, titled “Family Matters.” The conference convenes in the McNeil Science and Technology Center at the University of the Sciences, near Clark Park. Registration is open until Saturday morning, though attendees who plan to bring children should register earlier to make sure the on-site childcare can accommodate them.

Stephanie Haynes, who runs the conference, said there were several changes this year, like a sliding-scale registration fee that lets attendees pay anywhere from $1 to $50; the conference will also feature photographer Kelly Burkhardt, who will take family portraits for free. Another novelty is an absence of change: This is the conference’s second year at USciences. Haynes hopes that this will become the conference’s permanent venue. 

It’s readily apparent that things have changed for LGBTQ parents since the conference started in 2010. Back then, LGBTQ parenting was more of an uphill battle, since legal rights varied state by state, but Haynes warned nationwide marriage equality hasn’t fixed everything. She explained that many laws still use language that assumes parents are heterosexual couples. A session titled “Even Though You’re Married…” will explore current legal challenges for LGBTQ parents.

Finally, the conference will also feature four sessions for prospective LGBTQ parents, among them one called “LGBTQ Baby Making Options.”

For more information and to register for the conference, click here.

– Eduard Saakashvili