Author: Aziza Mabrey-Wakefield

Spring 2025 Grinnell Rainbow Connections

Spring 2025

Veritas et Arcus Iris

A Note from Rainbow Alumni Leadership: Spring and Coming Out

As the Spring blossoms all around us in its colorful glory, our thoughts turn to new life and personal renewal. The process of Coming Out is one thing that unites us as a community, reflecting the rebirth of nature taking place this season. Even as we recognize our unique individuality–and as we face sometimes dangerous situations as individuals and as a community–we know that by coming together we can find a path forward in these chaotic times.

In the spirit of Spring, we’re excited to announce the first of what we hope is an annual Town Hall with President Anne F. Harris, focusing on developments in higher ed and issues related to the LGBTQIA+ community. Join us on May 13, 7:00 p.m. Central–details are below. At the end of March, Rainbow Alumni celebrated 2025’s Trans Day of Visibility with a little Drag Queen Bingo, and of course along with all the other alumni, we have just participated in Scarlet and Black Give Back Day, which raised nearly $2500 for the Rainbow Alumni Internship Fund. And soon it will be Pride season, when our volunteers will be sponsoring Ren-Gay-Vous in cities across the nation–this year look for events in DC, Chicago, Des Moines, LA, Denver, The Twin Cities, Salt Lake City, and more! (We will announce these parties on our GRA Discord server and by email, so stay tuned.) Looking for a reason to attend Reunion this year? Once again, we’re sponsoring the most exciting event of the weekend–Reunion 2025 Drag Show! So there’s a lot going on and it will be so good to be together in person.

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

GRA Virtual Town Hall with President Anne F. Harris

Grinnell Rainbow Alumni is sponsoring what we hope will be an annual event: a Virtual Town Hall with President Anne F. Harris, Tuesday May 13, at 7 p.m. Central. Moderated by GRA co-chair Rick Rose ‘88, this town hall is a chance to engage with the college president, and hear firsthand her thoughts on the current tumultuous environment in higher ed, and the anti-LGBTQIA+ challenges the college faces.

Please register online by May 11 to participate; you can submit your thoughts and questions for consideration on the registration form, helping us guide the conversation and ensure the issues discussed are those most relevant to you. If you have questions about anti-trans legislation, state or federal attacks on high ed, or about the quality of life on campus for queer students–or any other topic relevant to our community–this is your chance to submit your concerns and hear the college’s response. (You can also register by calling 866-850-1846.)

A parallel virtual town hall will take place Thursday, May 8, 7 p.m. Central, and will be moderated by Langston Thomas ’20, of the Grinnell Black Alumni Network.

If you have any questions, contact Nino Parker ’07, director of alumni and donor relations for affinity programs, at parkerni@grinnell.edu.

Grinnell College Reunion 2025 Drag Show

Calling all fans of drag!    Pink My Little Pony graphic with Laurel Leaf logo on hip in front of a black, starry background with pink text

Anyone who attended last year’s reunion knows the highlight was the Reunion Drag Show. With hundreds of excited alumni packed into Harris Center Concert Hall, the show proved to be more exciting than anyone could have imagined.

GRA’s own Carly Jerome ‘11 is helping plan the 2025 Reunion Drag Show and is looking for volunteers from all classes (any takers from the 50th Reunion Class?). The theme is Welcome to the Pink Pony Club–inspired by the Chappell Roan song–and it’s going to be fabulous. All performers will receive up to $100 for makeup, costumes, etc., as reimbursement for helping to make this happen. Not up for going on stage? You can still help with lighting, sound, hair, makeup [so. much. makeup.], in the hall, or helping collect donations. Between cash and online donations, last year’s Drag Show raised over $13,000 for the Rainbow Alumni Scholarship Fund. For anyone interested in performing or volunteering, there’s a virtual Pink Pony Club Happy Hour and Volunteer Connection on Monday, May 5, 2025 at 7:00 pm CDT. To attend, or for more information, email Sarah Smith-Benanti at smithben@grinnell.edu. Or just register for Grinnell College Alumni Reunion 2025 online; Register before May 15 for lowest rates and guaranteed availability of meals and services.

Update on Campus Events

Grinnell’s Pride Week 2025 took place January 27-31 this year. TheScreenshot of long table with colorful table cloth and people sitting with Pride Week Recap in white font. Stonewall Resource Center presented a wide range of events this year, including:

    • Queer Stompede: Gay Country Dancing & Lessons
      • Preceded–naturally–by a Denim Dazzle Workshop 
    • QPOC Celebration Lunch
    • Joteria Game Night
    • Stonewall Pridefest–with games, prizes and food 

The week was capped off with the Covered in Melanin Drag Show in Harris, featuring six dazzling performers from The Legendary Blazing Saddle, a dance bar located in the East Village in Des Moines, Iowa. You can view a video Pride Week Recap, from Intercultural Affairs at https://www.facebook.com/reel/1615473562671844

P.S. Blast from the Past: 1987–Grinnell’s first (known) Pride Week.

Pink calendar page titled Gay Pride Week with various LGBTQ+ symbols and events listed.

Lavender Brunch Celebrates Graduating Queer Grinnellians

Grinnell College’s Lavender Brunch was held this last Saturday, April 26, celebrating the upcoming graduation of the Class of 2025. This year’s event was the largest to date, with nearly 80 attendees representing the full spectrum of the LGBTQIA+ campus community. This get-together, hosted by Sarah Smith-Benanti (photo below), was also a great chance for soon-to-be graduates to find out more about joining Grinnell Rainbow Alumni, which sponsored the event. Our hope is that each year, more graduates get in the habit of joining GRA before they even officially finish their studies, knowing that the community they were a part of on campus will continue, and that they’ll be welcome with open arms as an alum. Congratulations to them all!

Sarah Smith-Benanti speaking on a microphone at a podium to attendees seated in a light wood paneled room with large windows

Wider angle of Sarah Smith-Benanti speaking on a microphone at a podium showing several tables with attendees

Attendees posing in front of a sparkly, purple background with star accents

Top photo: Sarah Smith-Benanti, Associate Director of Alumni and Donor Relations for Diverse Communities addresses graduates; middle photo: nearly 80 attendees took part; bottom photo: l-r, Yessenia Álvarez Zamora ‘27; Micho Adler, Assistant Director of Intercultural Affairs, LGBTQIA+ Student Specialist; Jordan Reznick, Asst. Professor, American Studies; Fredo Rivera ‘06 , Asst. Professor, Art History; Sarah Smith-Benanti, DAR; Desmond Cortes ‘27–vamping it up at Lavender Brunch!. Photos: Conner Stanfield ‘21)

Grinnell Alumni Affinity Groups Expanding

Recently Grinnell added two new affinity groups: Connexiones, representing Grinnell’s Latinx/e Alumni, and the Grinnell Black Alumni Network. Read about the launch of both here and here. 

Hummingbird graphic in blues and purples with Conexiones in aqua font and Grinnell College logo in white against a purple background   White abstract bird graphic in front of a red, black, and green flag, with Grinnell Black Alumni Network in white font to the left and Grinnell College logo

News from Campus, and Extras

The Scarlet & Black
“Gender neutral bathrooms planned after years of student appeals” Construction in the Noyce Science Center to begin as soon as 2026. 

New From Iowa

Iowa passes bill stripping civil rights protections for transgender people, The Advocate reports. “The vote was 60-36 in the House and 30-15 in the Senate. It would make Iowa the first state to remove gender identity from antidiscrimination law and apparently the first state to remove any protected characteristic.”

Iowa State University students held a funeral April 2, 2025, in Ames Mock funeral procession with individuals dressed in black, outside in a wooded area carrying a black coffin with the LGBTQ+ flag atop marking the closure of the Center for LGBTQIA+ Student Success (1992-2024). The Center was forced to close after the Iowa legislature stripped DEI funding (Senate File 2435) and removed trans-related civil rights. The story was covered locally by The Ames Tribune and nationally by The Advocate.

Kat Rohn ‘08, Executive Director of OutFront Minnesota (and one of GRA’s founders), and Chase Strangio ‘04, co-director of ACLU’s LGBT & HIV Project, wrote a moving op-ed in the Des Moines Register, lamenting the path Iowa has chosen by stripping gender identity from established civil rights laws, a national first. “Iowa shaped our lives. An anti-trans law broke our hearts, but we can’t give up.”

The Des Moines Register reports that In the November 2024 elections, Hiawatha elected Aime Wichtendahl Iowa’s first openly transgender lawmaker. “Her adjectives,” she says, “are: “freaking” and “awesome”.”

And Finally

Still down about 2024? Journalist Erin Reed has provided a list of victories and accomplishments for this last year you may have overlooked.

Register now for Reunion 2025, May 29-June 1

    • 70th Reunion: 1955
    • 60th Reunion: 1965-66
    • 50th Reunion: 1975
    • 40th Reunion: 1984-85
    • 35th Reunion: 1989-90-91
    • 25th Reunion: 2000
    • 15th Reunion: 2009-10-11
    • 10th Reunion: 2015
    • GRA/EY (Grinnell Reunion Any/Every Year)

Check out our LinkedIn page
https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14483590/

    • Find a career connection
    • Discuss work issues related to your identity
    • Bounce ideas off alumni from across the generations
    • Grow your professional network 

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; Communications and Outreach; and Fundraising.
    • Donate to support students!  We are currently focused on fully funding the Grinnell Rainbow Alumni Internship Fund. Use the pull-down menu to select the fund of your choice. 
    • Come to our next event. Reconnect to Grinnellians in your area or online. Regional events will take place during Pride Month 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. 

Winter 2024 Grinnell Rainbow Connections

Winter 2024

Veritas et Arcus Iris

A Note from GRA Leadership: How Can We Respond?

As this newsletter goes out, many of us reside somewhere between shock at the recent presidential election results, and trepidation for what comes after Inauguration Day. The dark storm cloud of a rising right-wing populism in the U.S. brings valid concerns for the health and safety of all members of the LGBTQ+ community; the vitriol focused on the trans community is especially outrageous and dangerous. 

Moving from fear and confusion to self-care, action, and community organization may seem overwhelming. Know that we’ve faced historic threats before, though, and gotten through them by supporting one another, educating our allies, and using advocacy and protest to shape policy. This onslaught, however, raises more questions: How can Grinnell College best support its LGBTQIA+ students in the face of such hostility? How will Republicans lash out at not only the trans community, but at same-sex marriage, international students, and even the Department of Education? What role can we as an alumni affinity group play in supporting one another, Grinnell students, and the college? As we all consider these questions, we welcome your feedback on how we can focus our efforts; and please join our Grinnell Rainbow Alumni group on Discord to continue the conversation.

At the same time, we have to take a moment to point with pride to Chase Strangio, ‘04, who on December 4, 2024 became the first known transgender attorney to present an argument to the U.S. Supreme Court. In his role as Co-Director of ACLU’s LGBT and HIV Project, Strangio–considered the nation’s leading legal expert on the rights of transgender people–challenged Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors (L.W. v. Skrmetti). We also report below on sage advice from Kat Rohn ‘08, on steps we can all consider to prepare for the next presidential administration; the optimism shown by the first Rainbow Alumni Internship Fund beneficiary, Kian Witherspoon, ‘25; a sampling of results from our first member survey; and an interview with Lucia Cheng, ‘23, who recently joined the GRA steering committee. 

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

Advice on Preparing for the Next Administration

The November election came as a shock to the LGBTQIA+ community and its allies writ large. With a newly empowered Trump administration, narrow majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate, and the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 as a blueprint, right-wing populist Republicans are intent on rolling back the rights our community has fought so hard to gain. In fact, Project 2025 calls for the elimination of all LGBTQ+ and DEI language from every federal rule, regulation, grant, contract and piece of legislation. Many of these actions will be challenged in court; however, the only certainty is that from Inauguration Day forward, Republicans will persist in demonizing us and pushing us out of civic life entirely. 

This election season was brutal; the total effect of more than $200 million in misleading and demeaning political advertising directed at the trans community remains to be seen. With the initial fear and anxiety of election night giving way to uncertainty and a desire for practical preparation, we turned to Kat Rohn ‘08, a founding member of the Grinnell Rainbow Alumni and Executive Director of OutFront Minnesota for her insights. The goal is to provide folks with concrete steps and tools in preparation of any scenario.

“To the LGBTQ+ folks in my life,” wrote Kat, “who are looking for action steps to take to help prepare yourselves and insulate your loved ones from hostile actions under the next administration – here are five things that I am recommending.”

    • Take time to review the legal rights and non-discrimination protections you have at state and local levels. Take time to review your workplace’s non-discrimination policies, healthcare documentation, and other relevant materials. Some places will be more protected than others, but it’s important for us to know what protections exist or don’t as a backstop. Follow an LGBTQ+ litigation or advocacy organization in your state so you can receive updates and guidance from a trusted source if things change.
    • Get identity documents in order. For trans folks that means making name and gender marker changes if you want them, especially prioritizing federal documents that are easier to change before January 20, 2025  (i.e., passport, social security, etc.). For non-trans folks, renewing a passport now is also not an unwise step to take.
    • Get legal protections in order. Get a marriage license if you and your partner are considering it. Even if you are married, consider establishing medical and legal power of attorney with your spouse. Set up your will and healthcare directives. If you have kids that are not biologically yours, initiate second-parent adoption proceedings.
    • Establish care with a primary care physician and key providers for services you might need. Consider accelerating plans for surgical or medical care for reproductive or gender/medical issues that may be important and at risk. Where feasible, ask for larger and longer refills on medications that can be stored that may be at risk of litigation or supply chain disruption, including for gender-affirming care and HIV/AIDS prevention and care. 
    • Connect yourself to others. Our community has always sustained itself. And in many cases this has meant without any legal protections, safety nets, or formal access to things we need and deserve. We know how to do this, even when it’s hard.

There is a bright spot that rose from the 2024 election: history was made when representative-elect Sarah McBride (D), a state senator, won Delaware’s at-large seat in the House, becoming the first (and only) openly transgender member of the U.S. Congress. Said Kat: “I am overjoyed to have a trans voice in Congress to speak powerfully for us even as harmful bills are advanced next session. I’ve not met Rep. McBride personally, but I know her enough to know she will meet the moment and deliver for her state.”

An expanded, version of the list above is available from OutFront Minnesota, including information for asylum seekers, non-citizens, activists, and organizers.

The Education of Kian Witherspoon ‘25: First Rainbow Alumni Internship Granted

The summer of 2024 saw the first internship to be awarded from the Grinnell Rainbow Alumni Internship Fund. Kian Witherspoon, ‘25, majoring in Gender, Women’s and Sexuality Studies, spent the summer at the recently formed Coextensive Collective, in their hometown of Houston, Tex.. An experimental art collective focused on the queer and trans people of color (QTPOC) community, Coextensive hosts bi-monthly events such as markets, concerts, fashion shows, and artist showcases. Kian found the opportunity to leverage their knowledge and skills to curate the collective’s archives and engage in community care both exhilarating and challenging.

“This summer,” said Kian, “I immersed myself in skills I’d only dreamed of using… I learned how to navigate the challenges and contradictions of community organizing in a state that represses the voices, expression, and gathering of queer trans people of color. I now know that harm reduction has to happen in the wake of the state’s actions just as much as interpersonal conflict. I understand more now that centering the marginalized is messy work, but I would have it no other way than to support the quality of life of disabled queer trans people of color from my home.”

While GRA is proud of the Fund’s progress, more work remains. Randell Christopher ‘87, coordinator of the fundraising committee, stated “Our goal is to grow the Fund’s principal to ensure full annual support for an LGBTQ+ internship. This year, we aim to raise $100,000 toward that goal, empowering the next generation of Grinnell LGBTQIA+ leaders.” 

If you are interested in donating to the Rainbow Alumni Internship Fund, a special $8,000 challenge grant is still in effect through December 31, 2024, doubling the impact of your donation. Your gift, and the generosity of Grinnell Rainbow Alumni, can develop and help focus a current LGBTQIA+  student’s personal and professional development, with an immediate, profound effect.

Said Kian: “It was life-changing. I built networks of care, grew professionally, and had a blast along the way!”

First Membership Survey Results

In an effort to understand our membership and its wants and needs, GRA conducted its first Membership Survey. With an astounding response rate of around 30 percent, members are obviously interested in the work we do, and the potential for further community involvement. “I think the response rate alone speaks to the level of enthusiasm and care our members have for the group,” said GRA Co-Chair Rick Rose, ‘88. “There is a lot of information to analyze, but it’s clear people are enthused about what we’re doing.”

In this newsletter edition and the next, we’ll highlight some of the results. Answers to questions have not been correlated to personal information, and will remain anonymous. For example, although we know the class years of our members through our membership database, we wanted to see if the survey reflected those numbers. And in general they did, including responses from alumni going back to the 1950s and 60s. 

Graph of class decades and approval ratings

In general, our members are well satisfied with their time at Grinnell, with some caveats. On a scale of zero to ten, more than 75 percent of you rated your personal experience at an 8, 9, or 10; fewer than 5 percent rated it at 0, 1, 2, or 3. (Although, one could assume graduates with a truly poor experience wouldn’t be interested in joining any alumni group, even if it’s the GRA.)

Graph of overall satisfaction with Grinnell Experience

One of the steering committee’s main interests was discerning which type of events people are interested in attending. While we still have to drill down by alumni decade, in-person live events capture your main focus (at first and third place). Our programming currently includes events at annual reunions (including Drag Show), and our popular Ren-Gay-Vous Pride events held in select locations around the country. The desire for virtual events wasn’t too far behind (second and fourth place), with “Virtual Workshops or Lectures” taking the lead in that option. Ren-Gay-Vous Pride Events this year took place in DC, Chicago, Des Moines and the Twin Cities; as we increase the number of places, we expect their popularity to grow. The same dynamic applies to our virtual events. [NOTE: If you are interested in organizing a Ren-Gay-Vous Pride Event in 2025, planning starts soon; please contact Sarah Smith-Benanti at smithben@grinnell.edu for more information.]

Graph of individual preference for GRA event type

And finally for this edition, we wanted to know where respondents are located. Although members responded from all corners of the world (Hello UK and Mexico!) and the U.S., one metropolitan area stood out: Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota! Grouped in second place were Chicago, Denver, NYC and Washington, DC (although because it’s divided into three geographic areas it didn’t show well on this chart). Although location won’t necessarily limit where live events will be held, the Twin Cities stood out in 2024 for their leading attendance among Ren-Gay-Vous Pride Events. Congrats Twin Cities!

Graph of most common locations of participants in the survey

Meet a Member: Lucia Cheng ‘23

Lucia Cheng '23 seated in front of a gradient purple background, smiling at the camera in overalls with multicolored geometric shapes

(Fun fact: this photo is from this year’s North Hollywood Pride; more specifically, the Grindr truck that was at Pride.)

For people lucky enough to know Lucia Cheng ‘23, it’s clear that she’s a force to be reckoned with, as a volunteer and in all aspects of life. Here, she shares with us some insight into what Grinnell College meant to her, her experiences–including with Covid–and how she’s been faring since graduation. Lucia recently joined the Rainbow Alumni Steering Committee, working on networking and storytelling. 

Can you tell a bit about yourself and your time at Grinnell College? What was your year and major?

I attended Grinnell from 2019-2023 (technically, I’m actually part of the class of 2024) and graduated with an English major and an American Studies concentration. I also started working for The Scarlet & Black my first year, which is part of the reason why I’m a journalist now. Happy to report that I’m now Iowa Public Radio’s 2025 News Fellow! (My first radio and web story for them just went live on Monday 12/9, which you can read here.) 

Were you involved in any campus organizations or support networks at Grinnell?

A running list of pies I had my fingers in: Peer Connections Pre-Orientation Program (PCPOP), Power Hour/Disorientation Guide, an Afrofuturism MAP, my independent American Studies MAP, Asian American Association (AAA), the Writer’s Program with IES Dublin, voracious attender of Writers@Grinnell and other writing workshops (The Moth Storytelling Workshop!!), Drag Show, and occasional open mic speaker. 

How did your time at Grinnell shape your personal growth or identity?

As I went through college, I learned a lot about my relationship to my parents. I probably have cPTSD. I didn’t learn the worst of it until I had to drop out halfway through my study abroad semester; a stroke landed my dad in the ICU, where my family also learned he had metastatic Stage 4 lung cancer. While the first half of college is colored by my eagerness to escape home and find new hope for myself, the second half has a sharp, bitter tang. The classic cynical fourth year, yes, but I also had to realize that being someone’s daughter is not a label that is shaken off easily. 

I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with the College. Looking back from a year’s distance, I know I’ve made a lot of mistakes. Some of them, however, were due to things out of my control. 

I also went to therapy for the first time at Grinnell! I’ve had a wild therapy journey since then, but I also had a lot of support from Student Affairs member Megan Baldree, S&B supervisor Lyle Muller, and my English advisor Sejal Sutaria. And the myriad of other professors and staff who were kind enough to let me inundate them with questions, including Professors Mevorach, Ng, Escandell, Phan, Marshack, and Quinsaat. My deepest apologies to Prof. Stephen Andrews though, my American Studies advisor–60% of our office hours consisted of me breaking down in tears. I was an absolutely atrocious student for him, but his wisdom still pervades. He taught me the value of close-reading from as many angles as possible. 

How would you describe your identity on the LGBTIA+ spectrum during your time at Grinnell? Did it change later on?

I went into Grinnell as a cisgender pansexual, and came out as, well, a pansexual questioning gender. I don’t think my perception of my sexuality/gender changed much, in comparison to how being LGBTQ+ changed the way I see my connection to being Asian. Kimberlé Crenshaw, the pioneer of intersectionality, had me squishing and shaping myself like play-doh. I’m sure others have much more to say about their queer journey than I do. 

What was the overall atmosphere like at Grinnell while you were there? 

Pre-COVID Grinnell felt a lot different from post-COVID Grinnell. Perhaps my first year experience is biased from the excitement of being on a college campus for the first time. I wanted to soak up EVERYTHING the college had to offer, and by god, my agenda was way too full. I met a lot of upperclassmen who were willing to stray off the beaten path. To me, they felt much more willing to take risks and explore, even if it meant they would make mistakes. 

Post-COVID takes on the moniker “Harvard of the Midwest,” for good and for bad. Incredibly good at whatever they chose to pursue, but perhaps to the point of debilitating perfection. But who knows! My anger at my situation definitely had me throwing up walls–and barbs. The S&B took the brunt of it, both in writing and in person. I reported on anti-Asian hate my first year, which opened the floodgates to me asking a shit ton of questions and being curious (nosy) enough to get the answers. I like to believe I helped bring investigative reporting to the newsroom, but that was probably inevitable! Much gratitude to those who mentored me, allowed me to mentor them, and everyone who let me help shape Poweshiek’s news coverage. 

How do you hope your experiences and contributions as a Rainbow Alum will continue to shape the future of Grinnell?

I still feel like a duckling barely treading water. I recently saw a post that asked a reader to visualize what their most ideal self would look like. For me, I hope I become someone that a community can rely on. A queer elder of sorts, I guess. Someone that can keep bringing empathy into the newsroom. I wrote in an op-ed once that I would be a lighthouse that warns of danger, but that the light would become a bridge that connects us across sea and sky. I hope I can still chase that impossible horizon. I hope Grinnell does the same. I hope that knowing that ships are out there, somewhere, on the water, will be enough to help people remember that the world is much bigger than we think it is.

Queer Grinnell in the News–and News from Queer Grinnell

On December 4, 2024, Chase Strangio ‘04 became the first openly transgender attorney to present an argument at the U.S. Supreme Court. He did so in the challenge to Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for youth brought by Lambda Legal and the ACLU (L.W. v. Skrmetti).

Chase Strangio ‘04 speaking on a microphone, outside, wearing a baseball cap, green handkerchief, and white tank top


The Des Moines Register: How a Grinnell alum became the first transgender lawyer to argue before US Supreme Court

The Scarlet and Black: Transgender alum Chase Strangio defends gender-affirming care before the Supreme Court

CNN: He’s the first known transgender lawyer to argue before Supreme Court. For Chase Strangio, the mission ‘is not lost on me’

Other recent stories and commentary from the Scarlet and Black and Grinnell

In rural Iowa, trans people are standing strong against anti-trans legislation

QPOC drag show draws crowd amid increase of anti-LGBTQ+ bias

Opinion: LGBT people need more allies: Why we should not be rejecting groups like the GSA 

No increase in anti-LGBTQ+ bias incident reports in the 2024-25 school year

Grinnell College student seeking criminal charges after being punched, called anti-gay slur on campus

Message from the President (March 9, 2023): Legislation and Grinnell College Values

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; Communications and Outreach; and Fundraising.
    • Donate to support students!  We are currently focused on fully funding the Grinnell Rainbow Alumni Internship Fund. Use the pull-down menu to select the fund of your choice. 
    • Come to our next event. Reconnect to Grinnellians in your area or online. Regional events will take place during Pride Month 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.

Fall 2024 Grinnell Rainbow Connections

Fall 2024

Veritas et Arcus Iris

A Note from Rainbow Alumni Leadership: Why Volunteering Matters

This past year the volunteers of the Grinnell Rainbow Alumni accomplished a lot. In June and July, our devoted alumni set up five new Ren-Gay-Vous Pride events around the country; two new funds for a scholarship and an internship met the threshold to become officially endowed; our Discord conversations and online events continued to grow; and our membership more than doubled (to nearly 400). 

We’re also conducting our first membership survey–if you have a few minutes, please fill it out. This will help us understand who our members are along with your interests. This is your chance to provide input without an ongoing commitment.

At its heart, GRA is about our volunteers and giving back to the college that gave us so much. This fall, college staff implemented one of the opportunities most requested by Rainbow Alumni: mentoring current LGBTQIA+  students. MentorGrinnell, a structured, six-session program, allows direct conversation between GRA member-volunteers and young LGBTQIA+ Grinnellians eager for your insight, advice, and guidance. Not sure it’s for you? See the article below for more information. So far more than 28 GRA members have stepped up from across the decades and professions, helping to shape future generations eager to connect.

For now, the efforts of the Rainbow Alumni are only limited by the number of volunteers who join us, and the skills they bring to the table. In addition to the mentorship program, there are still opportunities to help with events, outreach, communications, fundraising, and more. Whether you have only a few hours at a specific time of year to help out or can make a regular once-a-month commitment, there’s a place for you here. What better way is there to help improve the Grinnell experience even by just a bit, and benefit a student in need–and perhaps yourself–along the way?

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

 

National Coming Out Day: Open-Mic Coming Out Series

Yellow cartoon figure coming out of a closet with the text National Coming Out Day

Celebrate National Coming Out Day with the Grinnell Rainbow Alumni at our Open-Mic Coming Out Stories Zoom night. Listen in, or share the fun and toss your name into the hat to share your own coming out story with other Grinnellians. You will have up to five minutes to share your coming out story, whether the story took place at Grinnell or not, we look forward to hearing more about your journey through life at and after Grinnell. 

When: Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, 7 p.m.
RSVP by Wednesday, Oct. 09 by registering online here.
Zoom connection information will be included in the event registration confirmation email.

Grinnell Rainbow Alumni Membership Survey Launched

In an effort to understand our dramatically growing membership, the Rainbow Alumni Steering Committee has launched its first confidential GRA Membership Survey. We hope these results will help us understand our over 400 members’ backgrounds, experiences, and interests. Beyond demographic and professional information, this is your chance to share feedback on community involvement; your own Grinnell experiences (whether good or bad); our fundraising efforts; your experiences since graduation; and where you think we should focus our efforts. We also hope to better understand where and how to reach out to groups unrepresented or underrepresented among our volunteers and programming. All responses are anonymous (unless you provide contact information in any feedback).  

Please take a moment to provide your important feedback, so we can understand who we’re made up of and where our organization can better focus. Your participation will be much appreciated.

MentorGrinnell: Matching LGBTQIA+ Alumni and Students

Have you thought about mentoring a current Grinnell student, but didn’t know how? The Office of Development and Alumni Relations has launched MentorGrinnell, an online platform providing an opportunity for you to be matched with a current Grinnell student based on your career interest, unique skills, and profession. 

Whether you’re a recent graduate, mid-way through your career, or enjoying your retirement, your insight and advice will be invaluable to current students. Members of Grinnell Rainbow Alumni can be matched specifically with students who have requested a fellow LGBTQIA+ community member; dozens of students and alumni have already done so. Registration is on a rolling basis–apply when you can!

Starting in September, this structured, six-session experience allows you to schedule sessions based on your availability, customize agendas, notes, and checklists, and monitor your mentorship progress. The MentorGrinnell Help Center assists mentors and mentees navigate their mentorship from beginning to end; and Sarah Smith-Benanti, Associate Director of Alumni and Donor Relations, will gladly answer any questions you have along the way. 

Why Participate as a Mentor?

  • Make a difference in the lives of LGBTQIA+ students eager to learn from your experiences.
  • Share valuable insights and guide students on their paths.
  • Connect with LGBTQIA+ students and help them achieve their goals.
  • Help LGBTQIA+ students expand their networks and career opportunities. 
  • No experience is required; resources and personalized agendas are provided.

Ready to sign up now? 

Use this registration link–specifically for GRA members–to set up your profile and get the process started.

Update: First 2024 Ren-Gay-Vous Pride Events Around the Country

June and July of this year found GRA members having a great time at our premiere Ren-Gay-Vous Pride events in Chicago, Washington DC, Des Moines, the Twin Cities, and even Grinnell. A special thanks goes to Conner Stanfield ‘14 for launching this project, one of our main organizational goals. 

These cities are just the beginning: If you had a great time at a 2024 Ren-Gay-Vous, or are interested in hosting a future RGV event in your hometown, the Events Committee would love to hear from you. Please contact Sarah Smith-Bernanti at smithben@grinnell.edu, whether you can help out only for this one time of year or would like to help with events year-round. 

Here are just a few highlights from Ren-Gay-Vous around the country.

Twin Cities Ren-Gay-Vous attendees outside under a tent        Des Moines Ren-Gay-Vous attendees in two rows facing the camera, smiling

Washington D.C Ren-Gay-Vous attendees sitting outside at picnic tables        Chicago Ren-Gay-Vous attendees gathered around a white table smiling at the camera with a white slatted backgroung

Top row: Twin Cities (l), Des Moines (r); bottom row: Washington, DC (l); Chicago (r) 

Meet A Staff Member

If you’ve worked on any LGBTQIA+ project at Grinnell, volunteered with the Rainbow Alumni, or even come to a reunion, you’ve likely met Sarah Smith-Benanti, associate director of alumni and donor relations for diverse communities. Sarah is the front-line contact and biggest cheerleader for Grinnell Rainbow Alumni. In fact, without Sarah’s efforts, it’s unlikely GRA would have gotten off the ground. As additional affinity groups get their start, we thought our members would like to get to know the person who makes administrative magic happen at Grinnell College.

Sarah, thanks for agreeing to be our first Grinnell staff member to be interviewed for this newsletter. Tell us a bit about yourself. Where are you from, and what’s your educational background?  I grew up in Springfield, Ill., and attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where I received my B.S. in Natural Resource and Environmental Science. I went to graduate school at Utah State University and studied the quaking aspen tree. My first summer collecting data in the wilds of Utah and Colorado, I realized I liked girls. I ran a soil microbiology lab at USU until I switched career fields and went into student affairs at Vanderbilt University, then the University of Oregon, and now I’m here in alumni relations at Grinnell College.

What was the overall atmosphere like where you studied? Were you involved in any campus organizations or support networks at the time?  After coming out in grad school, I became highly involved with the Pride Alliance student organization. Being a queer activist in rural Utah in the early 2000s was challenging, to say the least, but coalition building was quite easy due to having a common foe, the Mormon Church. I helped establish an LGBT resource center at Utah State University, started an allies training program, and pushed to get the first student support professional hired to run the center. This person became my wife years later.

How did you land at Grinnell College?
I was a trailing spouse [to Maure Smith-Benanti, Asst. VP of Student Affairs & Dean of Inclusive Initiatives]. At the University of Oregon, my wife had a graduate student who is a Grinnellian from the class of 2011. This Grinnellian told Maure about a job opportunity at Grinnell and I thought to myself, I never planned to move back to the Midwest, but it would be nice to be closer to my family. Happily, I found my home in DAR with the opportunity to plan the first Multicultural Reunion in 2017.

How have you and your family found life in the town of Grinnell?  We never thought small town life was for us, but we’ve been here almost eight years now, so maybe it is. We still deeply miss living in or near a city, but having everything nearby is very helpful with a 9 and almost-5 year old.

A lot of alumni like to think of Grinnell as unique–and at least in Iowa, it is. Is there anything that jumps out to you about Grinnell or Grinnellians that you weren’t expecting?  I worked at Vanderbilt University, as the first program coordinator in the Office of LGBTQIA Life, so I thought I knew what it would be like to be back at a private institution, but a small liberal arts college is very different. My favorite thing about Grinnellians is how they question everything and deeply try to understand things.

I know you’ve recently been promoted to associate director. What does your work encompass now? What are the best things about interacting with alumni? Any annoying bits?  I’ve wanted to create identity-based affinity groups since I started, but the work is not about what I want; it is about what the alumni want. I always say to the volunteers, “I did not graduate from Grinnell, so I am here to facilitate whatever program or event you want to do.” Multicultural Reunion is the signature event I work on and I’m excited to expand the work into creating more affinity groups. My favorite part of my job is listening to alumni stories and how this place means so much to each of you. I think one of the most annoying things for any volunteer manager is folks not doing what they say they are going to do, especially when they do not communicate that they can no longer fulfill their commitment.

How would you describe your identity on the LGBTIA+ spectrum during your time at Grinnell? Has it changed over time? There are so many things to love about being queer because we know our identities are fluid and we get to explore all the aspects of ourselves that we want to. When Maure and I moved to Grinnell our first child was only 14 months old, so “mom” has been my most salient identity at the College. Since I first came out, I’ve always been out and proud at each of my jobs; it’s impossible for me not to talk about my wife and our kids.

Have you been involved in any LGBTQ+ organizations since arriving at Grinnell? I understand you helped found Grinnell’s Queer Employee Resource Group (QERG). How’s that going?  When we got to Grinnell, I expected the rainbow carpet to be rolled out and get an invitation to the next potluck. Sadly, that never happened like it did at other universities we’d worked at. I did not want to have that happened to other LGBTQIA+ employees, so I finally got the go-ahead to start an ERG last year after bugging Human Resources for six years. The great thing about waiting is that the co-leaders get a small stipend and the organization has a budget from the Office of Diversity Equity and Inclusion. Our number one priority is to build community and second we want to make the College an excellent place for LGBTQIA+ people to work by creating new policies.

Obviously you work primarily with alumni, but you’re much closer to queer students and student organizations than is almost any alum. What advice would you give to recent LGBTQIA+ graduates from Grinnell?  Grinnell puts a lot of pressure on students, graduates, and alums to change the world, so my advice is to focus on the little things that are in your control. Each heart and mind you connect to and share your story with, slowly creates change. Also, failure is always an option and where we learn the most.

How do you hope your work and contributions to the Grinnell Rainbow Alumni as an affinity group will continue to shape the future of Grinnell? What other affinity groups are around the corner?  The number one goal of affinity groups is to build community, so I hope the Rainbow Alumni help to continue to grow and expand the incredible alumni network. Conexiones is currently doing a social media campaign on Instagram celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month and introducing themselves as an affinity group for Latine alumni. There is also an affinity group forming for Black alumni.

You can contact Sarah at smithben@grinnell.edu.

Sarah Smith-Benanti seated with her 2 children, smiling at the camera outside a cupcake shop

Update: Reunion 2024 Drag Show Fundraiser

Fundraiser for the Grinnell Rainbow Alumni Endowed Scholarship Fund

Six-hundred alumni saw amazing performers from the classes of 2014, ‘17, ‘18 and ‘19 strut their stuff at the Reunion 2024 Drag Show, held in the Harris Center Concert Hall, and they absolutely loved it. In person donations totaled $1,606; after the event, 210 online donors stepped up with an amazing $11,976, for a total of $13,582. All the funds went directly to the Rainbow Alumni Scholarship Fund, allowing it to begin distribution a full year earlier than expected. 

Still interested in supporting the Rainbow Alumni Scholarship Fund or the Rainbow Alumni Internship Fund? It’s as easy as clicking here, and selecting the fund of your choice in the “Make your selection…” box.  Additional questions? Contact Sarah Smith-Bernanti. 

Drag show participants getting ready in a dressing room, smiling at the camera with lighted mirrors in the background                    Drag show participants on stage, main performer is in a green gown with long dark hair, lights are dimmed

Check out our LinkedIn page

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/14483590/

  • Find a career connection
  • Discuss work issues related to your identity
  • Bounce ideas off alumni from across the generations
  • Grow your professional network 

Save the date: Reunion 2025, May 29-June 1

  • 70th Reunion: 1955
  • 60th Reunion: 1965-66
  • 50th Reunion: 1975
  • 40th Reunion: 1984-85
  • 35th Reunion: 1989-90-91
  • 25th Reunion: 2000
  • 15th Reunion: 2009-10-11
  • 10th Reunion: 2015

    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 Internship Fund. 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 Month 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.