How can we, as scholars, policy makers and teachers of young children work in ways that unsettle the silencing of queer lives in our educational settings, or even, should we presume that it is desirable to do so? By drawing on examples of exclusion, we will discuss instances where teachers and rainbow families have been impeded in their attempts to establish and maintain effective partnerships between home and centre. Together, we will explore some of the unique challenges we face when rainbow families and early years teachers make attempts to work effectively and in the interests of young children.