A rainbow family is a family with a child where the parents are homosexual.

The constellation of a rainbow family offers gay and lesbian couples the opportunity to raise a child or children and to fulfil the role of parents - like classic hetero couples.

However, the possibility of forming a rainbow family did not always exist. Over a long period of time, homosexuals have fought to be allowed to adopt children, for example, or to become a foster family.

Today - in a time when the legal situation has changed - there are many homosexual couples who want to complete their happiness by adopting or fostering a child. Interestingly, they go through almost the same "stages" that heterosexual couples have to go through. After all, the well-being of the child, who should want for nothing - neither in the classical nor in the rainbow family - is above all.

The parents of a rainbow family can either be married to each other or live together in a registered partnership. Which options are available and to what extent they can be used is decided by the individual legislation in the respective country. There are sometimes significant differences in Europe (and of course also worldwide). In Germany, for example, homosexuals have been able to marry since 2017 and are also entitled to adopt non-bodily children together as spouses.

There is now even a separate day dedicated to rainbow families. It was created by various organisations in Europe as well as in the USA and Canada and is celebrated as "International Family Equality Day". Since 2011, it has taken place on the first Sunday in May.