Dear ,

 
Families like mine, LGBTQI families, are under attack in Florida. Draconian new laws and pending legislation are directly aimed at undermining the safety and sense of belonging of our children, even forbidding teachers from acknowledging the existence of their families.  Communities of color are also under attack, with new laws aiming to prevent anti-discrimination training and accurate teaching about the history of racism.
 
Why on earth would I go there? I have to admit, even though I was the one to sign the contract to bring the 2022 IACP Forum to Orlando (a contract signed back in 2019, before all of this happened), I had second thoughts when I was buying my plane tickets.  Was it the right thing to travel to a place that had gone to such lengths to restrict civil rights, and to attack families like mine?
 
Then I remembered what I was going there to do -- participate in the largest gathering in the world of Collaborative professionals, a group dedicated to supporting and strengthening families of all kinds, including LGBTQI families and families of color.  It is in the very DNA of the Collaborative process to support families in finding their own unique paths and to honor and uphold relationships as they are defined by the family members themselves. With leadership from visible LGBTQI community members and strong allies on our board, staff, and faculty, the Forum will be full of opportunities for our members to learn even more about how to support our families. These skills will be more important than ever in the coming years, as other states consider laws modeled on Florida's. The networking, training, and alliance building we will be doing in Florida will help families everywhere.
 
I was even happier to be going when I learned that the Forum Committee had selected Nadine Smith, the Executive Director of Equality Florida, as the keynote speaker for the Forum. Nadine is a woman of color and an LGBTQI activist who is leading the fight against these discriminatory laws in Florida. I know that she wants us to be part of the conversation there, and she wants our help. I had already planned to make a contribution to one of the groups leading the fight in Florida, and I will be making my contribution to Equality Florida tonight. If you want to join me in registering your support for tolerance and equality in Florida, you can make a donation to their 501c3 here. IACP will also be making a significant contribution as part of the Forum.
 
I've heard that a few others have also had second thoughts about traveling to Florida at a time like this. It touches my heart, although it does not surprise me, to know that there is so much support for the LGBTQI community among our membership. However, I would suggest that the best way to show support is to go to the Forum, participate in the discussion about what is happening in Florida and elsewhere, and continue our important work to support all families and build a more peaceful world. I hope I will see you there. I'll be the one handing out rainbow pins!
 
In community,

We invite you to register to join us on August 11 at 9:00 am PDT for our IDEA Gathering: Exploring Advocacy and Allyship at Forum to continue this conversation from Anne Tamar-Mattis' letter on the challenges of deciding how to express our empathy, support, and advocacy for marginalized communities. Collaborative Professionals are committed to deep dialogue and problem-solving, so bring your openness to listen and learn, as well as your ideas for how you as an individual and we as a larger community can be allies and advocates, especially at Forum in October. This conversation will be facilitated by Julia McAninch and Anne Lucas. 

In the meantime, IACP encourages you to read Time Magazine's article, Florida Just Passed the "Don't Say Gay" Bill. Here’s What It Means for Kids and reflect on the importance of showing up for families in Florida and beyond as a Collaborative community.