Summer 2024
Veritas et Arcus Iris
A Note from Rainbow Alumni Leadership
With Pride Month upon us, our thoughts turn not just to the events Grinnell Rainbow Alumni has planned for the coming days and months, but to the meaning of Pride to us as a group. We take pride in putting a queer shine on the Grinnell Experience; in supporting the many LGBTQIA+ students who have thrived and survived four years at Grinnell; and most especially, we take pride in actively developing community among eight decades of Grinnellians. We’re proud of the efforts of each member of the Steering Committee, for sustaining an online gathering spot on Discord; creating ‘Ren-Gay-Vous’ Pride events in Chicago, Des Moines, L.A., Washington D.C., New York City, and even in Grinnell; and for creating two new successfully endowed funds for internships and scholarships. And we’re especially proud to have sponsored the Lavender Graduation Brunch this year, welcoming new graduates with open arms to the community of Grinnell Rainbow Alumni. (See the Campus Update below.)
If you’ll be attending Reunion 2024 May 30-June 2, please make a special effort to come to the GRA Reception in the Stonewall Resource Center on Friday, May 31, 3:30-5:00 pm. Both of us will be there, and we look forward to meeting you, hearing your stories, and getting to know each of you better. And be sure to check out all of the GRA events at Reunion, listed directly below.
In solidarity,
Phoebe Lostroh ‘94 (plostroh@gmail.com)
Rick Rose ‘88 (rick.rose@yahoo.com)
Co-Chairs, Grinnell Rainbow Alumni
On behalf of the entire Steering Committee
Reunion Events
- Multicultural Reception, Thursday, May 30 at 6:30-8:00 p.m. in JRC 101
Co-sponsored by Grinnell Rainbow Alumni: Build community with alumni who are BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, members of the disability community, are from various religious affiliations, and who were first generation or international students. Break bread, share stories, and get to know some staff members from Intercultural Affairs, Accessibility and Disability Resources, the Center for Religion, Spirituality, and Social Justice, and the Office of International Student Affairs. - Grinnell Rainbow Alumni Reunion Kick-Off, Thursday, May 30, 8:30 p.m. – closing, Solera Wine Bar, 829 Broad St.
Raise a glass and meet our co-chairs, Rick Rose ’88 and Phoebe Lostroh ’94, and fellow members of the Grinnell Rainbow Alumni from across the decades at this informal social gathering. Choose from among 150 different wines and beers at this palate-pleasing wine bar located in historic downtown Grinnell. Owner Colleen Klainert welcomes our members to stop by and socialize on this first night of Grinnell Reunion 2024. - Grinnell Rainbow Alumni Reception at the Stonewall Resource Center, Friday, May 31, 3:30-5:00 p.m. in Younker Hall Basement (entrance at rear of building)
At this hallmark event, come explore the resources of the Stonewall Resource Center, meet the staff members who make it possible, and hear the stories of fellow alum from various LGBTQIA+ communities from across the decades. This is your chance to get to know us better, find out if you want to get involved, and learn first hand what we’re doing for alumni and the college. - Parade to the Drag Show, Friday, May 31, starting at 9:15pm, Kington Plaza
All are invited: meet at 9:15 p.m. in front of the band stage for a parade to the Drag Show in Harris! Rain Location: Bucksbaum Rotunda - Alumni Drag Show, Friday, May 31 at 10:00-11:30 p.m. in Harris Center Concert Hall
The Grinnell Rainbow Alumni and the classes of 2014, 2017, 2018, and 2019 are excited to present the third Grinnell College Reunion Drag Show. After more than a decade of biannual shows, the event has become a successful and enduring tradition for Grinnell College students. The extravaganza, which occurs in the fall and spring, raises money for various LGBTQIA+ organizations both on and off campus. It encapsulates the lasting spirit of Grinnell: a celebration of diversity with a commitment to social justice. Come see what all the fuss is about. This performance includes flashing lights and loud music. Capacity is limited, so please arrive early.
In-Person Events: Ren-Gay-Vous Around the Country
- Chicago Ren-Gay-Vous at Big Gay Sal’s Pizza on June 20 at 5:00 p.m. Register now!
- Grinnell at Grinnell College hosted by QERG on June 28 at noon
- Des Moines Ren-Gay-Vous: TBD
- Los Angeles Ren-Gay-Vous: TBD
- New York City Ren-Gay-Vous: TBD
- Twin Cities Ren-Gay-Vous: TBD
- Washington DC Ren-Gay-Vous: TBD
Campus Update
Lavender Brunch, the annual event honoring graduating LGBTQIA+ Grinnellians took place in May. It celebrates a watershed moment for them all, and gives the Grinnell Rainbow Alumni a chance to welcome them with open arms into the queer alumni community.
Photo on left: 2024 Grinnell Lavender Brunch graduates; right photo: Micho Adler (l), LGBTQIA+ Student Support Specialist, Vrinda Varia (r), Assistant Chief Diversity Officer for Intercultural Student Life; with two student SRC staffers.
Meet A Member–Times Two!!
In honor of Reunion 2024, we’ve interviewed two Grinnell Rainbow Alumni members: Javon Garcia from the class of 2014, and Chris Broadwell, class of 1974. Our thanks go to both of these great Grinnellians for sharing their stories with us. Enjoy!
Please meet Chris Broadwell ‘74, celebrating his 50th Reunion this year. An English major with a minor in Music, Chris traveled abroad through the London and Florence program as a third-year student. He now is “theoretically semi-retired,” yet finds time to volunteer at his NORC (Naturally Occurring Retirement Community) co-op in New York City, serves on the board of the Early Alzheimer’s Foundation, teaches English to adults, and with his husband owns and runs a small nature preserve and guest lodges in the Catskill Mountains, where he also produces performances at a nearby cultural center.
Read on as Chris describes his life studying during the “Age of Aquarius,” and later as an activist during the age of HIV/AIDS. In this interview, lightly edited, we find out how Grinnell College’s Social Gospel Movement legacy inspired his positivity and activism.
Hi Chris! Can you tell a bit about your professional life?
Home in New York after graduation from Grinnell, I found my way to The English-Speaking Union of the U.S., which sounded appropriate for an English major. They admired Grinnell and hired me as a mail clerk, promoting me to bookkeeper, then Branch Services Director a year after that.
In 1978, my partner, an architect, took a job in San Francisco, where I eventually found work in public relations. On my 30th birthday I woke up in Athens, Greece, where my partner had taken new work. During our fourth year stationed there, Terry died of AIDS in my arms, back in NY, but I returned to Greece for another year determined to continue and build on my extraordinarily positive experience with him.
After returning to New York, I hadn’t worked for years, but Grinnell friends were very supportive and got me a stint working at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, which led to my becoming Director of Publications at BAM. Then, after years working in publishing and fundraising, I was recruited to be Director of Development at the Kosciuszko Foundation, and then Development Director at the Historic House Trust, a non-profit branch of the New York City Parks Department. After that, I was recruited back to my first employer, The English-Speaking Union, as Deputy and then Executive Director. From 2007 to 2018 I oversaw the National Shakespeare Competition for high school kids, a new immigrant support center, scholarship summer programs for American high school teachers at Oxford University, The University of Edinburgh, Shakespeare’s Globe and the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, and other national and international educational activities.
How would you describe your identity on the LGBTIA+ spectrum during your time at Grinnell? Did it change later on?
I was and am a man who is attracted to men.
What was the overall atmosphere like at Grinnell while you were there? Were you involved in any campus organizations or support networks at the time?
Campus life was a combination of heavy academics, political concern about the world we would be heading out into, and a social experiment in fraternity. But we had lots of fun. I was particularly active in outdoor recreation (I was the director of the Student Recreation Commission) and folk dancing, which often drew the largest group of students on campus.
Pretty much the entire student body acted rather like siblings or at least family, and “identities” were defined by political activism, intellect, and communal participation. I was unaware that anybody cared about others’ proclivities, in that we formed pairs or groups of very close male and female friends easily. Actually, the men I became closest with were not gay. It was the “Age of Aquarius,” at least in opposition to the war in Vietnam, etc., and so free love and hippy lifestyles were an encompassing, appealing atmosphere. We were aware that college was a temporary, experimental, and preparatory period, in which we could learn from each other. I suppose I didn’t broadcast my sexual encounters so as not to alienate my firm groups of beloved friends–female and male. But I certainly wasn’t surprised to learn that more than several friends were “out loud” later in the real world.
Can you share any memorable LGBT-related memories or experiences during your time at Grinnell? How have your experiences at Grinnell influenced your life and career after graduation?
Because I had such a happy social time while a student, without having to make my sexuality my primary identity, I maintained that persona into life and the workplace. When you present yourself as primarily about social service and organizational advancement–and positivity–people don’t naturally care about or judge your proclivities or lifestyle, as long as you don’t reject theirs. Grinnell’s basis on the Social Gospel certainly directed me in the kinds of work I would choose to do, and Grinnell gave me a real interest in the world abroad that I have been very lucky to participate in through my working life.
Have you been involved in any LGBTQ+ organizations since leaving Grinnell?
Soon after graduating into the real world, a large section of my social group was rocked by AIDS. My beloved partner of eight years died in my arms of AIDS, in its early, mysterious days. Of course I became involved in many of the social uprisings that followed, and worked for several years on the New York City Human Rights Campaign Fund events, other protest activities, and later, I spearheaded the activities of Scouting For All in New York City–Eagle Scouts demonstrating and working with the Boy Scout Council to reverse its ban on gay scouts.
What advice would you give to recent LGBTQ+ graduates from Grinnell based on your experiences?
Win people over by doing positive, socially beneficial work and they will admire it, and want to join in. Common cause can put prejudices and assumptions about your proclivities–and your prejudices of theirs–into scale ultimately, as we are just human beings working together.
How do you hope your experiences and contributions as a Rainbow Alum will continue to shape the future of Grinnell?
That remains to be seen as I learn more about the Grinnell Rainbow Alumni. I’m really looking forward to seeing the Stonewall Resource Center during Reunion, and figuring out what I do from there!
Next up, we get to meet Javon Garcia, class of 2014, celebrating his 10th graduation anniversary this year. Born in Washington, D.C., Javon was raised in Laurel, Md., and arrived at Grinnell as a DC Posse Scholar. Currently living in Chicago, Javon points to his major and involvement with the LGBTQIA+ community at Grinnell as instrumental in finding his own path to a career in counseling and supporting his community.
Welcome Javon! And thank you for talking with us about your experiences at Grinnell and beyond. Can you share a bit about yourself? How would you describe your identity on the LGBTIA+ spectrum during your time at Grinnell?
I majored in Gender Women’s and Sexuality Studies! I love dance, theater, art, travel, cooking, baking, swimming, hiking and film. I came out to my family and friends during my first year at Grinnell. I’ve always known that I was gay but Grinnell gave me the confidence to come out–and I still identify as a gay man. I do feel that I have gained confidence and am more comfortable embracing my feminine side since being at Grinnell.
What was the overall atmosphere like at Grinnell while you were a student? Were you involved in any campus organizations or support networks at the time?
I truly felt lucky to be at a school like Grinnell that values being your authentic self. I was heavily involved in the Stonewall Resource Center, co-lead the Queer People of Color group, and was actually the Manager of the SRC my last year. I also organized Queer Cultures Week and Pride week, and absolutely loved organizing and performing in drag shows at Grinnell. Grinnell allowed me the safe space to explore all parts of myself and live in my truth. Prior to Grinnell I felt a lot of shame around my identity.
Drag shows at Grinnell are so unique and unlike anything I’ve experienced at other colleges. When I would share photos with non-Grinnell friends, they would often say “Damn your college experience is very different from my college experience.” I love that I had a unique experience here, and I wouldn’t change it for anything.
I heard you’ll be taking part in the 2024 Reunion Drag Show! Is that true? Who’s your drag alter ego? (Parade to Drag Show starts at 9:15 pm, Kington Plaza–HSSC to the Harris Center for the performance at 10:00 pm, Friday, May 31, 2024).
You bet I will be–I helped organize the show! You can look for Shavonna.
How have your experiences at Grinnell influenced your life and career after graduation?
Grinnell allowed me the resources to go to LGBTQ conferences and have summer internships in public health, HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ advocacy. I thought I wanted to be a lawyer but through my time at Grinnell and various internships, I realized I wanted to be a social worker and therapist. I wanted to be a part of someone’s healing process and advocate for others who have struggled with their mental health. I’m so thankful to the kind-hearted and supportive Grinnell queer community.
Have you been involved in any LGBTQ+ organizations since leaving Grinnell?
Since graduate school–a masters in clinical social work from Loyola University Chicago–I’ve provided individual and group therapy at a community mental health center, supporting Chicago’s LGBTQ community. I also provided surgery letters for trans patients seeking gender affirming care. I now work as a group therapist at an intensive outpatient health center for adults with mood and anxiety disorders. At my new job I love that I get to run the weekly LGBTQ cohort, and train other mental health professionals on providing affirming mental health care for LGBTQ patients. My time at Grinnell allowed me to gain experience in working in LGBTQ advocacy and leadership.
What advice would you give to recent LGBTQ+ Grinnell graduates based on your experiences? How do you hope your experiences and contributions as a Rainbow Alum will continue to shape the future of Grinnell?
Stay connected with other Grinnell alums! I’ve been blessed with connections with queer Grinnellians from various years, and I still feel very supported by them. Also trust your journey and limit comparing yourself to your peers. It’s so easy to minimize your accomplishments because you feel less accomplished than them. I had people tell me I was going to do nothing with my major in Gender, Women’s and Sexuality Studies and now as a therapist I actively use my Grinnell education in providing mental health care to LGBTQ people.
Going forward, I hope to provide mentorship opportunities and networking connections with other queer Grinnellians. I also hope to continue building support systems with alums from various class years.
What You Can Do Right Now
Looking for ways to get involved with Rainbow Alumni and help Grinnell? Here are a few suggestions:
- Forward this email to a friend! Know someone who should get this newsletter and join the Rainbow Alumni? Forward it to them to help us spread the word.
- Volunteer! Have some fun and make new friends with Grinnellians from across the decades! Take the volunteer survey here. Committees looking for participants include Networking and Storytelling; Events; Outreach; Communications; and Fundraising.
- Donate to support students! We are currently focused on fully funding the Grinnell Rainbow Alumni Scholarship Fund by the end of June. Use the pull-down menu to support the fund of your choice. Also–think of us during Scarlet and Give Back Day!! Type “Rainbow” in the ‘Make your selection(s)’ box on the donation webpage.
- Come to our next event. Reconnect to Grinnellians in your area or online. Regional events will take place during Pride Season in your area. Stay tuned for more information.
- Did a friend forward this email to you? Sign up as a member of the Grinnell Rainbow Alumni by submitting your email address here.