Places where parents meet and connect: Potlucks. Bowling parties. Movie screenings. Annual conferences. Yes, conferences, complete with nametags and packets of conference swag. Rainbow Families does all that, hosting three or four events every month where GLBT parents and prospective parents can learn about the universal aspects of parenting and also those unique to same-sex parents. Need some legal advice surrounding your "union"? Check. Need help with financial planning and filing taxes? Check and check. The conference, now in its eleventh year, boasts programs for kids of all ages, including much-needed opportunities for teens to connect. This year's conference, on April 21, featured marquee names like Abigail Garner, author of Families Like Mine: Children of Gay Parents Tell It Like It Is, and T. Mychael Rambo. With groups like Rainbow Families, it's possible to hope that someday there will be no need for qualifiers like "gay family."