The Rainbow Parenting Scheme is a buddy system similar to college parenting. We match up freshers with older students who will introduce them to Oxford. The difference with Rainbow Parenting is that, rather than matching families together based on their subjects, we aim only to connect LGBTQ+ people at the same college. We hope that parents will introduce their freshers to the LGBTQ+ community at Oxford on a collegiate and university-wide level.
Freshers will be matched with Rainbow Parents attending the same college as them wherever possible. A first-come-first-serve will be employed otherwise.
For parents in cross-collegiate marriages, the college of ‘Spouse 1’ as stated in the google form will be the matching college, with the other spouses’ colleges being used if there is a surplus of parents at Spouse 1’s college and a shortage of parents at one of the others’.
The actual administrative process of matching will be carried out (along with a bunch of spreadsheets) by the secretary, who will send individual parents their kids' Facebook names or emails and encourage them to initiate contact. If you don’t use Facebook, have any questions, or would like to request some other considerations when you are being matched, check the FAQ below or e-mail the Secretary at [email protected] and he’ll be happy to accommodate.
Freshers will be matched with Rainbow Parents attending the same college as them wherever possible. A first-come-first-serve will be employed otherwise.
For parents in cross-collegiate marriages, the college of ‘Spouse 1’ as stated in the google form will be the matching college, with the other spouses’ colleges being used if there is a surplus of parents at Spouse 1’s college and a shortage of parents at one of the others’.
The actual administrative process of matching will be carried out (along with a bunch of spreadsheets) by the secretary, who will send individual parents their kids' Facebook names or emails and encourage them to initiate contact. If you don’t use Facebook, have any questions, or would like to request some other considerations when you are being matched, check the FAQ below or e-mail the Secretary at [email protected] and he’ll be happy to accommodate.
Sign-Ups and Deadlines
Parents will begin signing up during Trinity term (the third and final term in the oxford year). They must do this in ‘marriages’ of two or three people. Freshers will be allowed to sign up after A-Level results day - when they are certain that they will be able to come to Oxford the following Michaelmas. Freshers must sign up as individuals. During the Summer vacation - after September the 30th - the society Secretary will begin matching freshers with their parents.
Any fresher who signs up before the 30th of September is guaranteed to be matched with parents before the beginning of Michaelmas term. It is not guaranteed, however, that every parent who signs up will be given a child by Michaelmas - this is because there are usually more parents than there are children signed up.
There will be another round of Rainbow Family matching midway through Michaelmas Term and before 0th week of Hilary Term.
Signing Up to be a Parent:
To sign up as a parent, you’ll need to grab one or two friends to be your Rainbow Spouses. Marriages can be cross-collegiate, cross-subject, and cross-year.
You’ll then need to register your marriage via the google form. Please note that the college of the person whom you register under ‘Spouse 1’ will be the matching priority.
You can sign up as a Rainbow Parent here (https://forms.gle/2iF99p5xDVtqjmTE7)
Signing Up as a Fresher:
When signing up as a fresher, you will be signing up as an individual. Whenever possible, you will be given parents and siblings who attend the same college as you.
In some cases, your parents will be attending different colleges to each other. It is also possible that your Rainbow Sibling(s) will be attending another college. This especially likely to be the case if you attend a smaller college or if your parents’ marriage is cross-collegiate.
Any fresher who signs up before the 30th of September is guaranteed to be matched with parents before the beginning of Michaelmas term. It is not guaranteed, however, that every parent who signs up will be given a child by Michaelmas - this is because there are usually more parents than there are children signed up.
There will be another round of Rainbow Family matching midway through Michaelmas Term and before 0th week of Hilary Term.
Signing Up to be a Parent:
To sign up as a parent, you’ll need to grab one or two friends to be your Rainbow Spouses. Marriages can be cross-collegiate, cross-subject, and cross-year.
You’ll then need to register your marriage via the google form. Please note that the college of the person whom you register under ‘Spouse 1’ will be the matching priority.
You can sign up as a Rainbow Parent here (https://forms.gle/2iF99p5xDVtqjmTE7)
Signing Up as a Fresher:
When signing up as a fresher, you will be signing up as an individual. Whenever possible, you will be given parents and siblings who attend the same college as you.
In some cases, your parents will be attending different colleges to each other. It is also possible that your Rainbow Sibling(s) will be attending another college. This especially likely to be the case if you attend a smaller college or if your parents’ marriage is cross-collegiate.
FAQ
Q. When do I meet my kids/parents?
A. Rainbow kids and parents will be introduced to each other before the start of Freshers' week. You will be notified shortly after matching ends if you have not been matched in the current round. Other, later dates you may be matched on include every 2 weeks during Michaelmas.
Q. I’m not sure if I want to be out at university, should I still sign up?
A. One of the goals of the Rainbow Parenting Scheme is to give people who are new to being out a foothold in the LGBTQ+ community at Oxford. This being said, don’t feel like you need to rush right in if you’re not ready! You’ll be able to sign up to get Rainbow Parents right up until the end of the Winter Vacation, so don’t worry if you’re not sure yet.
If you’re questioning your identity, please feel free to get in touch with any of the LGBTQ+ Society’s reps (you can find a list on the ‘Meet The Team’ page (http://www.oulgbtq.org/meet-the-team.html) or Rainbow Peer Supporters, whose contact you’ll be able to find through your college when you arrive.
Q. Can I sign up as a graduate student?
A. Yes! Graduate students can sign up as parents or freshers. Graduates and Undergraduates fill out the same forms, but will be separated in to different pools so that no graduate freshers will be given undergraduate parents or vice versa. Note, however, that we don’t differentiate between Master and Doctorate graduates. This means that Doctorate freshers may be given Parents doing their Master’s degree.
Q. Does Rainbow Parenting affect college parenting?
A. No, there is no relationship between collegiate and Rainbow Parenting. Many Rainbow Parents will have their own college families in addition to their Rainbow Families. Freshers will also likely be assigned college parents by their college or JCR.
Q. I want to marry more than two other people! Can I have 7 husbands, 2 wives and a 10th spouse?
A. You can only sign up in marriages of up to three people formally, but the point of the parenting scheme is to connect people and have fun. If you want to incorporate additional parents in to your rainbow family, you are welcome to do so after you have been given children – just try not to overwhelm your kids!
Q. I didn’t get rainbow children over the summer, do I need to sign up again in Michaelmas or the Winter Vacation to try again?
A. No, you only need to sign up once to be admitted to the Rainbow Parents’ pool. Any unmatched parents will be rolled over to the next round for matching. You are more likely to get children, however, if you sign up earlier. If you would like to be removed from the parent pool, e-mail the secretary at [email protected].
Q. How will families be introduced to each other?
A. Parents will be sent either their kids' name and name on Facebook, or the emails of their children so that parents can initiate first contact. The information will only be shared with future rainbow parents. After matching, we will destroy any information collected in the form.
A. Rainbow kids and parents will be introduced to each other before the start of Freshers' week. You will be notified shortly after matching ends if you have not been matched in the current round. Other, later dates you may be matched on include every 2 weeks during Michaelmas.
Q. I’m not sure if I want to be out at university, should I still sign up?
A. One of the goals of the Rainbow Parenting Scheme is to give people who are new to being out a foothold in the LGBTQ+ community at Oxford. This being said, don’t feel like you need to rush right in if you’re not ready! You’ll be able to sign up to get Rainbow Parents right up until the end of the Winter Vacation, so don’t worry if you’re not sure yet.
If you’re questioning your identity, please feel free to get in touch with any of the LGBTQ+ Society’s reps (you can find a list on the ‘Meet The Team’ page (http://www.oulgbtq.org/meet-the-team.html) or Rainbow Peer Supporters, whose contact you’ll be able to find through your college when you arrive.
Q. Can I sign up as a graduate student?
A. Yes! Graduate students can sign up as parents or freshers. Graduates and Undergraduates fill out the same forms, but will be separated in to different pools so that no graduate freshers will be given undergraduate parents or vice versa. Note, however, that we don’t differentiate between Master and Doctorate graduates. This means that Doctorate freshers may be given Parents doing their Master’s degree.
Q. Does Rainbow Parenting affect college parenting?
A. No, there is no relationship between collegiate and Rainbow Parenting. Many Rainbow Parents will have their own college families in addition to their Rainbow Families. Freshers will also likely be assigned college parents by their college or JCR.
Q. I want to marry more than two other people! Can I have 7 husbands, 2 wives and a 10th spouse?
A. You can only sign up in marriages of up to three people formally, but the point of the parenting scheme is to connect people and have fun. If you want to incorporate additional parents in to your rainbow family, you are welcome to do so after you have been given children – just try not to overwhelm your kids!
Q. I didn’t get rainbow children over the summer, do I need to sign up again in Michaelmas or the Winter Vacation to try again?
A. No, you only need to sign up once to be admitted to the Rainbow Parents’ pool. Any unmatched parents will be rolled over to the next round for matching. You are more likely to get children, however, if you sign up earlier. If you would like to be removed from the parent pool, e-mail the secretary at [email protected].
Q. How will families be introduced to each other?
A. Parents will be sent either their kids' name and name on Facebook, or the emails of their children so that parents can initiate first contact. The information will only be shared with future rainbow parents. After matching, we will destroy any information collected in the form.
