Creating a “safe space” looks different for everyone. It might mean being physically protected from harm or knowing that you can share your emotions openly and without judgment. But for LGBTQ+ families, there’s usually one shared quality: knowing you’re free to celebrate your loved ones while expressing your most authentic selves.

And if there’s one thing the LGBTQ+ community is good at, it’s forging safe spaces. I think of bell hooks’s definition of queerness: “the self that is at odds with everything around it and has to invent and create and find a place to speak and to thrive and to live.” The LGBTQ+ community has always been adept at repurposing our place on the margins, transforming it into spaces where we can develop found families and cultivate a strong sense of pride. Queer safe spaces are historically vibrant and innovative – from liberal cabarets to the dazzling drag balls of the Harlem Renaissance.

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In 2026, when the LGBTQ+ community and many others face violence, discrimination, and legislative attacks on our freedoms, access to safe spaces can be a lifeline, especially for LGBTQ+ families. 

We all need that inexplicable sense of belonging. There are the familiar bubbles we all know and love – Pride parades, LGBTQ+ community centers, and larger annual events like Family Week in Provincetown. Scott Davenport, one of the parents who founded Family Week in 1994, spoke about the enduring impact of creating a space specifically designed for LGBTQ+ families. 

“It’s probably one of the things I’m most proud of, from a professional perspective,” said Davenport in a 2025 interview. “For the people who are able to go… overwhelmingly, they just find a sense of acceptance that they don’t feel anywhere else, because they’re suddenly in a place where gay parents and their kids are a norm.”

But in 2026, traveling to places like Provincetown can be a challenge. The number of international visitors to the U.S. declined by more than 4 million from 2024 to 2025, and domestic tourism is struggling as well. Many folks don’t feel safe traveling right now, and for good reason. Discriminatory entry policies, political turmoil, and the ongoing threat of ICE are dangerous and distressing for many families. Individual states are increasingly hostile to LGBTQ+ folks as well, which makes traveling within the U.S. scary and confusing, especially for people with trans family members.

So, for those who aren’t able to travel, how can you find that sense of safety and belonging at
home?

Consider founding a community group of your own. Start small. Do you know any other LGBTQ+ parents in your neighborhood or in your city? See if they’d be interested in starting a group chat, hosting a monthly barbecue, or scheduling weekly playdates. Once you start forming that community, folks will start sharing their needs, whether that means addressing inclusion with the local school board or identifying affirming healthcare providers. If you’re having trouble finding other queer parents, try to find new communities online. Research shows that when young people don’t have access to in-person relationships with other LGBTQ+ youth, finding community online can be a “life-saving” alternative. Your family might feel the same way.

Above all, remember you are not alone. If you’re in need of a safe space, that means that someone nearby is probably looking for one, too. Reach out to one another. No matter what we face, we keep each other safe.