COLAGErs Speak

COLAGE is gathering stories from people with one or more LGBTQ+ parents or caregivers, as well as LGBTQ+ parents and families. Your story helps us advocate for inclusive policies, educate communities, and uplift the lived experiences of our families.

Please share as much or as little as you feel comfortable. You’ll have the option to choose how your story is used and whether you’d like to be identified.

You are welcome to share a story related to marriage, family recognition, or legal protections. This could include experiences such as:

Your parents getting married or not being able to
Maintaining a relationship with a parent after separation or divorce
Experiences with second-parent adoption or other legal processes to secure your family
Awareness of laws or policies that affected your family
Relationships with extended or chosen family, including biological connections outside your immediate family
Your experience being donor-conceived

Let's Start With You

Prefix (Mr., Mrs., Ms., Dr., etc.)

First Name *

Last Name *

Email *

Additional Information

Just a bit more information about you. Your state is required to help us understand where stories are coming from. Other fields are there to ask you about how comfortable you are with what is done with your stories.

Please be aware that anything you share with us, you will always have the option to rescind, limit, change, or prohibit the use of in any manner. We care about your privacy, first and foremost.

State * The field State is required.

City The maximum length for the field City is 500 characters.

Phone Number The maximum length for the field Phone Number is 500 characters.

What is your preferred method of contact? * The field What is your preferred method of contact? is required.

If necessary, may we contact you to get any further details or information for your story? * The field If necessary, may we contact you to get any further details or information for your story? is required.

Are you comfortable with COLAGE using your story or quotes from your story publicly? For example, it would be used on our website, our social media, or in our policy work * The field Are you comfortable with COLAGE using your story or quotes from your story publicly? For example, it would be used on our website, our social media, or in our policy work is required.

If you are comfortable, would you like your identifying information redacted? * The field If you are comfortable, would you like your identifying information redacted? is required.

Share Your Story

We are excited to hear your story! We encourage that you try typing your story in a program like Microsoft Word or something similar and pasting it in the provided text box in this form so that you may format your story the way you'd like.

Please be aware that anything you share with us, you will always have the option to rescind, limit, change, or prohibit the use of in any manner. We care about your privacy, first and foremost.

Are you a COLAGEr or a Parent? * The field Are you a COLAGEr or a Parent? is required.

How are you connected to COLAGE? * The field How are you connected to COLAGE? is required.

Please share your story. The maximum length for the field Please share your story. is 5000 characters.

I prefer to share my story with a staff member. * The field I prefer to share my story with a staff member. is required.

Would you like to provide any related photos with your story? * The field Would you like to provide any related photos with your story? is required.

Are you comfortable with COLAGE using your provided photos publicly? For example, on our website, our social media, or in our policy work? * The field Are you comfortable with COLAGE using your provided photos publicly? For example, on our website, our social media, or in our policy work? is required.

Share Your Marriage Story

We are also doing a marriage story collection! If you have a queer marriage story that you have experienced and you would like to share, whether you are or were a married queer parent or a child of married queer parents, we would love to hear from you.

We encourage that you try typing your story in a program like Microsoft Word or something similar and pasting it in the provided text box in this form so that you may format your story the way you'd like.

Please be aware that anything you share with us, you will always have the option to rescind, limit, change, or prohibit the use of in any manner. We care about your privacy, first and foremost.

What is your LGBTQ+ marriage experience? * The field What is your LGBTQ+ marriage experience? is required.

Please share your story. The maximum length for the field Please share your story. is 5000 characters.

I prefer to share my story with a staff member.

Would you like to provide any related photos with your story? * The field Would you like to provide any related photos with your story? is required.

Are you comfortable with COLAGE using your provided photos publicly? For example, on our website, our social media, or in our policy work? * The field Are you comfortable with COLAGE using your provided photos publicly? For example, on our website, our social media, or in our policy work? is required.

Share Your Story: Families, Faith, and Belonging

Have you grown up with LGBTQ+ parents while participating in a faith community or religious education?

Have you experienced exclusion, stigma, or unequal treatment because you have LGBTQ+ parents?

Has your family faced barriers to preschool or early childhood education due to location, cost, transportation, work schedules, or limited local options?

We are seeking stories from people with LGBTQ+ parents, LGBTQ+ families, and people of faith about experiences with belonging, acceptance, exclusion, or navigating religious and educational spaces. We are especially interested in stories involving religious schools, preschool or early childhood education, sacramental preparation, or multigenerational faith communities.

We welcome stories from adults raised by LGBTQ+ parents, parents and caregivers, current or former students, grandparents, and people of faith. You do not need to have experienced a formal denial or legal action. Experiences of welcome, acceptance, silence, difficult choices, concealment, exclusion, positive experiences, or community support all matter.

Please share your story. The maximum length for the field Please share your story. is 5000 characters.

I prefer to share my story with a staff member.

Would you like to provide any related photos with your story? * The field Would you like to provide any related photos with your story? is required.

Are you comfortable with COLAGE using your provided photos publicly? For example, on our website, our social media, or in our policy work? * The field Are you comfortable with COLAGE using your provided photos publicly? For example, on our website, our social media, or in our policy work? is required.