Panel: "U ime svake obitelji"

What does family life for LGBTIQ people in Croatia look like today, beyond stereotypes and political debates? What challenges do they face in a system that often fails to fully recognise them, and what are the everyday joys, small routines, and relationships that make their families real and vibrant? And what happens when these families become visible—when they are no longer seen as exceptions, but as part of the neighbourhood, kindergarten, school, and wider community? Does this change the way we understand family, who belongs to it, and who has the right to security, love, and recognition?

We invite you to attend the panel discussion “In the Name of Every Family”, organised by the associations Proces and Rainbow Families, where we will explore the lives of rainbow families from personal, legal, and professional perspectives.

The panel participants are:

Ivana Svalina
Coordinator of social programmes at Rainbow Families. She will share her experience of parenthood—from challenges encountered within institutional systems to the meaningful and joyful moments of everyday life in a queer family.

Sandra Tolić
Psychologist and researcher, co-author of the first study on rainbow families, “I Am Not a Gay Mom, I Am a Mom.” She will discuss research findings, her experience working within institutional systems, and what studies actually reveal about growing up in rainbow families.

Daniel Martinović
Coordinator of the legal support programme at Rainbow Families. He will speak about the position of rainbow families in Croatia, recent court rulings concerning foster care and adoption, and what these decisions mean for the broader LGBTIQ community and society as a whole.

Through this discussion, we aim to create space for real stories that rarely receive public attention, for questions that often remain unspoken, and for perspectives that challenge and expand our understanding of what family means.

The panel discussion will be held in Croatian.