This past Sunday was the Rainbow Families Conference followed by the Minnesota Families Reception. Last year I participated in the conference but this year it just didn’t work in to my schedule. Which is too bad since they were short on volunteers. Next year I will be sure to be better prepared. I did however go to the reception. It was hosted by James Hoppe who graciously opened his home to all of us. Jim Schnobrich and Laura and Linda Smidzik were co-hosts.

It turns out that James and I are neighbors and our children all go to the same school. Small world. I hope we can see more of each other now that we realize we live about five blocks apart. I brought my daughter along since there were other children there. She wanted to play with the other kids but was too shy to go down to the basement and join in. Instead she found the food, told everyone about her tooth ( I might have done that part) and she convinced Bethany Lockhart, the national program coordinator for COLAGE to help her put temporary tattoos all over her arms. I am grateful to Bethany for helping the daughter as it gave me a few moments to actually talk to some of the guests.

I caught up with some of the panelists from last year and was able to finally meet Abigail Garner. Abigail is the author of Families Like Mine, a book I picked up years ago which helped me realize that I was not the only one who had a gay parent. Abigail and I have traded emails over the years and posted comments on each others blogs but had never met, even though we live fairly close to one another. Of course Abigail lives in Minneapolis and I’m from St. Paul so the fault is all hers for not making it over here. People who are from St. Paul don’t go to Minneapolis unless it’s an emergency while Minneapolitans have no trouble crossing the river.