One of the best ways to gather like-minded LGBT parents in your neighborhood is to start a gay parents group. These types of groups offer numerous benefits, says Family Pride. “Groups for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) parents build community power and are valuable resources for the family equality movement. Moreover, they’re a great place to share ideas, discuss parenting tips and to find support.” They are also a good place for your kids to make some friends too!

However, the process of starting your own group can be intimidating—particularly if you are not a leader or a sociable type. To help you begin an LGBT parents group in your area, here are some guidelines:

First off, see if there is already such a group in your area, says Family Pride. You are more likely to find such a group in a big city, than a smaller town, or suburban area. If there is already a group, then you do not need to go to the trouble of creating one yourself. (Of course, if you see the group isn’t addressing your particular needs, then by all means, start your own. But it may be difficult getting members if there is already one GLBT parents group out there.) You can find out if there is a gay parents group in your area through numerous ways. Family Pride offers a national listing of groups at www.FamilyPride.org . Your local gay center or community center may also have one. The sites www.MeetUp.com or www.Craigslist.org may be able to point you in the direction of one as well. Or, if you are lucky enough to have already befriended some gay parents in your area, ask them if they are a member of or know of any such organization.

Once you have determined that there are no such groups in your area, or that there are and you want to create one anyway, you need to gather members. If you have meetings at a local community center or gay center, they will list the event for you in their monthly bulletin or newsletter. Even if you don’t have the meetings at a center, you may still be able to use their bulletin board for advertising purposes (but ask first). You may also be able to use the local bulletin board at the library too (but, again, ask first). Two of the Internet tools you used to find out if there were any parents groups—Meetup.com and Craigslist.org—can also be used to advertise for members for your group. (“The internet may be your most powerful tool in working with your parents group or starting a group from scratch,” notes Family Pride.) You can also place a free listing in a local gay or liberal newspaper. You can try to place a listing with a conservative paper, if that’s your only option, but be warned: you may run into problems. Coffee shops or other gathering places where parents meet are yet another option for advertising, either by placing flyers around or putting signs on boards. And if you know one or a few gay parents, tell them to tell their friends about your new group.

Once you’ve got enough members, decide when you are going to meet, says Family Pride. It should be a time that is convenient for working parents, if there are a lot of them in your group. Weekday nights or Saturday mornings or early afternoons are typically ideal. Sunday isn't so good, as many families like to go to church on Sunday, declare it a family day to do stuff together, or just like to veg out in front of the TV.

Keep it well-organized. “The most effective parents groups are organized with phone trees, mission statements and written outreach plans,” says Family Pride, which offers resources in their Parents Group Corner online. It's also a good idea to get everyone's email address from the start, so you can tell everyone when meetings are, and what the topics are.

Don’t quit. Some group leaders begin with the best intentions, only to get depressed when attendance is low, or life circumstances get in the way. Do your best to keep the group going: If attendance is low, gather more members using the tools you used to get your original ones. If life circumstances get in the way, take a short break, but then, get right back on the horse. Remember, other parents are counting on you!

Until next time!