RAINBOW CAFE ALUMNI QUOTE
Rainbow Cafe accepts me for who I am. I am not judged or thought of as a freak. I can come to Rainbow Cafe and relax. This is not something I can do in most places.
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Rainbow Cafe has served the queer community in Southern Illinois for over 20 years, providing a safe and welcoming environment for those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans/gender expansive, queer, intersex, asexual, or questioning their orientation and/or gender identity, and their friends and family, by creating a space in which they are affirmed and offered non-judgmental support and access to personal, community, spiritual, and health resources.
We actualize our mission by opening our doors every week to a variety of programs, such as Drop-In, elevate, Unconditional, Transitions, @RC, and more, as well as hosting community events like Picnic in the Park and Queermas to provide the LGBTQIA+ community of Southern Illinois spaces to create affirming community. Rainbow Cafe is also committed to partnerships and relationships across the region to provide access for other needs, like Equality Illinois, the Community Action Place, inc., the Center for Empowerment and Justice, Jackson County Health Department, and CHOICES to provide STD and HIV testing/care, reproductive care, advocacy, and other resources. |
History
ORIGIN
In the early months of 2000, Tim Rice, community member and passionate youth advocate, saw a need for a supportive organization like Rainbow Cafe, and assembled a group of like-minded youth and adults to brainstorm what such support might look like. After months of brainstorming and information-gathering, Rainbow Cafe was founded in the spring of 2000 by the minister and members of the Unitarian Fellowship of Carbondale in collaboration with the pastor and other members of Carbondale’s Church of the Good Shepherd (United Church of Christ), an open and affirming congregation.
ORIGIN
In the early months of 2000, Tim Rice, community member and passionate youth advocate, saw a need for a supportive organization like Rainbow Cafe, and assembled a group of like-minded youth and adults to brainstorm what such support might look like. After months of brainstorming and information-gathering, Rainbow Cafe was founded in the spring of 2000 by the minister and members of the Unitarian Fellowship of Carbondale in collaboration with the pastor and other members of Carbondale’s Church of the Good Shepherd (United Church of Christ), an open and affirming congregation.
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The original mission of the program was to “provide a safe and welcoming environment for youth who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, or questioning their orientation, and their friends, by creating a space in which they are affirmed and offered non-judgmental support and access to personal, community, and spiritual resources.”
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Rainbow Cafe's Original Logo
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EXPANSION
2018 saw the beginning of Rainbow Cafe greatly expanding its programming beyond youth, though youth remain a focal point. Groups such as Transitions (for high-school aged transgender, gender non-conforming, and questioning youth), Transformations (13-17]), Elevate (for young adults age 18-25), Unconditional (for parents and friends of LGBTQ persons), GRIS—Golden Rainbows of Illinois South [for LGBTQ adults age 50+], and Arc (for youth age (9-12) have formed in response to the growing needs and visibility of the LGBTQ community in southern Illinois. In addition, Rainbow Cafe has expanded its programming to include Southern Illinois Pride Fest, a variety of town halls with elected officials to discuss the concerns of the LGBTQ community, and a close relationship with surrounding high school Gender-Sexuality Alliance (GSA) student groups. During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020-2021, Rainbow Cafe continued to hold virtual programming, and reopened its doors for in-person programming on July 2, 2021.
2018 saw the beginning of Rainbow Cafe greatly expanding its programming beyond youth, though youth remain a focal point. Groups such as Transitions (for high-school aged transgender, gender non-conforming, and questioning youth), Transformations (13-17]), Elevate (for young adults age 18-25), Unconditional (for parents and friends of LGBTQ persons), GRIS—Golden Rainbows of Illinois South [for LGBTQ adults age 50+], and Arc (for youth age (9-12) have formed in response to the growing needs and visibility of the LGBTQ community in southern Illinois. In addition, Rainbow Cafe has expanded its programming to include Southern Illinois Pride Fest, a variety of town halls with elected officials to discuss the concerns of the LGBTQ community, and a close relationship with surrounding high school Gender-Sexuality Alliance (GSA) student groups. During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020-2021, Rainbow Cafe continued to hold virtual programming, and reopened its doors for in-person programming on July 2, 2021.
Rainbow Cafe's Current Logo
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Our target community is LGBT youth of southern Illinois, as well as the youth of Southern Illinois who are questioning their sexual identities, and the friends and allies of these youth. We have determined that the high-school age range is particularly critical, since other support programs exist in this area for college-age and adult LGBT individuals. Rainbow Café also values diversity with queer youth. One of Rainbow Café’s current goals is to expand programing and resources by intentionally creating a safer space for all marginalized identities.
In addition to conventional word-of-mouth, we also heavily rely on social media and local media to increase the visibility of our programming. We network with local schools, supportive organizations, and other non-profits. We intentionally work to identify and foster good working relationships with other LGBTQ-friendly contacts. |
In the early days, we ran a notice each week in the “Help and Support Groups” listing of The Southern Illinoisan, the main regional newspaper (after a reorganization of the newspaper, this section is no longer published). We currently sell merchandise and accept donations via our website, www.rainbowcafe.org.
In April 2019, Rainbow Cafe officially became a 501(c)(3).
In April 2019, Rainbow Cafe officially became a 501(c)(3).
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