In 1988, a small group of young people with gay and lesbian parents came together while their parents were attending an annual Gay and Lesbian Parents Coalition International conference. Recognizing that they had much to share with one another and the larger world about growing up in same-sex parent families, they soon began putting out a periodic newsletter and running local chapters across the country. Within two years they had formed a steering committee, drafted a mission statement, and set long-term goals for the
nascent organization, and in 1995 opened a volunteer-run national office in San Francisco. In 1996, COLAGE explicitly added work with children of bisexual and transgender parents to its mission. COLAGE hired its first paid director in 1997, launching a tremendous push for national and institutional growth. In 1999, COLAGE became an independent 501(c)(3) and has subsequently developed and implemented effective community building, leadership development, public education, and advocacy programs.