Grinnell Rainbow Connection
Summer 2026
Veritas et Arcus Iris

A Note from Rainbow Alumni Leadership:

As many of you know, the first Pride was a riot: The Stonewall Riots. The first Pride Month was held to commemorate the riots’ first anniversary. People gathered with the community to ensure the plight of those before was not forgotten. Today, Pride continues that legacy through activism, community celebrations, and being together.

We kicked off Pride month at the most recent Grinnell Reunion with a celebration of the Stonewall Resource Center’s 40th Anniversary. Later that night, we celebrated with the Grinnell Alumni Drag Show, Scarlet and Slay – an amazing gathering of alumni giving it their all. Tips from the night went to the newly formed Rainbow Alumni Endowed Stonewall Center fund, which ensures the continuation of SRC-sponsored celebrations, campus programming, and emergency needs for years to come.

As Pride Month continues, I hope you’ll join fellow Grinnellians at local Summer Picnics and, later this fall, at Ren-Gay-Vous, Grinnell Rainbow Alumni’s annual regional gatherings. These events offer opportunities to celebrate our community, strengthen connections, and continue the spirit of Pride together.

In solidarity,

Carly Jerome ’11 (carlyjerome@gmail.com)
Chair, Grinnell Rainbow Alumni

On behalf of the entire Steering Committee

Reunion Recap:

For the 146th Alumni Reunion from May 28-31 Grinnell College hosted 1,456 Grinnellians. For the Grinnell Rainbow Alumni the two signature events of the weekend were the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Resource Center and the Alumni Drag Show, Scarlet & Slay. We are closing out the Drag Show fundraising effort with a new video from Dame Cherry Tart and hope to hit our goal of raising $125,000 for the SRC. Please give what you can by midnight on June 30.

Please enjoy the photo collage from the weekend. Photos courtesy of the Grinnell College Office of Development and Alumni Relations and the Grinnell College Office of Communications.

Ren-Gay-Vous Have Been Moved to October – Looking for Hosts:

This year the annual Ren-Gay-Vous have been moved from the summer of 2026 to October 2026 to celebrate LGBTQIA+ History Month! We are actively looking for event hosts. If you are interested please reach out to Sarah Smith-Benanti at smithben@grinnell.edu.

Your Part of Grinnellian History: Share Your Story!

This year, the Grinnell College Stonewall Resource Center SRC celebrates its 40th anniversary. For four decades the SRC has been a place for memories, milestones, and community. As we mark its 40th anniversary, we are working to compile a collection of stories, from both before and after the creation of the SRC, that showcase the LGBTQIA+ life on campus.

Interested in sharing your story, no contribution is too small—before the students return in the fall we are looking to collect alumni bios to display in the SRC. We are looking for alumni to fill out the first page of the survey (and more if you are interested!) so students can learn about the LGBTQIA+ history at Grinnell.

Fill out this survey so students can learn about the queer legacy at Grinnell.

Member Spotlight: Josh Blue ’01

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your time at Grinnell College? What was your year and major?
I’m Josh Blue, Class of 2001. I majored in History and did all of my elementary education coursework to complete my 9th semester teaching practicum. When I was a student, there was an elementary education programme which enabled you to get your teaching credentials alongside your degree. I actually ended up doing my 9th semester a year later because I was a Grinnell-Nanjing teaching fellow and spent the year after I graduated teaching at a middle school affiliated with Nanjing University.

This experience was transformative and ultimately set me on my path in international education and living abroad. I’ve been living and working in Hong Kong since January 2003.

I was involved in theater as often as I could be while a student. I worked at the library and during new student days I was hypnotised and performed ‘Livin’ La Vida Loca’ in front of everyone at the Harris Center. Up until I graduated, I was sometimes referred to as ‘the Ricky Martin Guy’.

How do you identify now? Were you out during your time at Grinnell?
I identify as a gay man. While at Grinnell I was not really part of the LGBTQIA+ student group and I never went to the Stonewall Resource Center. I didn’t really know who I was when I started and spent two years going in and out of the closet, a third year becoming more comfortable with who I was and then I came out to my family right before graduation.

How would you describe your professional life so far? What do you do for a living?
I have had a very fortunate professional life to date. I did end up in education and haven’t regretted any of it. I started off working for an education not for profit in Hong Kong, and worked my way into the international school sector. I’ve been a classroom teacher, a curriculum coordinator, a vice principal, a Head of Primary and a Principal all within primary or through-schools. I am currently the Head of Education-Curriculum, Learning and Assessment for the English Schools Foundation (ESF) here in Hong Kong. I get to work with our 22 schools–kindergartens, primary, secondary and one special school, supporting senior leaders, teachers and staff.

Additionally, I’ve been in IB schools since 2004 and since 2011 I’ve been a workshop leader, evaluation leader and consultant for the IB. This has enabled me to travel extensively across the Asia-Pacific region facilitating workshops and evaluating schools. It has been an incredible opportunity.

I get the greatest joy from working with students and the next greatest joy from training and inspiring teachers and leaders to be the best they can be for their students.

Have you volunteered with any LGBTQIA+ groups since graduation?
My partner and I have a son and when we had him we attended several Rainbow Family events in Hong Kong. We made some great friends and connections early on. I sat on a panel one year on alternative families as part of the pride events scheduled across the city. I’ve been interviewed by a law firm, sharing my family’s story of how we became a family.

What was the overall atmosphere like at Grinnell while you were there? Were you involved in any campus groups at the time?
Grinnell just felt like home. Having been back recently, as soon as I stepped on campus a calm and peace came over me. It’s such a special place. I was involved in everything and anything. I liked to be active and engaged so from campus groups to theater to community service in town or Des Moines, I was always happy to get involved and do something. I read the news one semester on Friday evening in KDIC and I wrote an op ed piece in the paper called the ‘Eclectic Edge’.

Did you use the Stonewall Resource Center at all when you were a student? If so, do you have any particular memories associated with it?
I did not however I will always remember my first encounter with the SRC. Freshman year I was in a double that had been converted into a triple on Younker Second North. We had the last room closest to North Campus and next to us was another converted double with three women. One of them, who has since transitioned and is living their authentic life, asked me the day we moved in if I wanted to go to the SRC with them. I remember saying to them ‘OH! Why? Do you need directions? I can take you there.’ And they looked at me with a weird expression and said, ‘Oh, uh no, I know where it is I just thought…well..maybe….it’s ok….if you ever want to go, let me know and I’ll come with you.’

They knew before I did.

How visible were LGBTQIA+ students and employees on campus when you were an undergraduate? What do you remember about that?
There was definite visibility but not overly so. I remember when I told a high school friend I was going to Grinnell, she asked me if I was gay. I was surprised and she just said, ‘well my dad says there are a lot of gay people there.’ I don’t remember a lot or maybe I don’t remember a high number of gay men…Women, however, heaps.

Are there any books or movies that were especially important for your personal coming out journey?
The Object of My Affection with Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston was probably the one that sealed the deal for me. When I really started to figure out who I was my sophomore year, I was working in the library and I ended up ordering heaps of books from gay history to young adult LGBT novels to works by Edmund White—I felt like I had had up to that point a very hetero-centric point of reference and I felt like if I really was gay, I’d take the academic approach and read up and build my body of knowledge. It definitely helped and apparently I still do this because I just read all six books in the Heated Rivalry series and I learned heaps….

Do you have any particular memories associated with any LGBTQIA+ Reunion activities, particularly drag show?

I just attended my 25th reunion and ended up co-emceeing the Scarlet and Slay Alumni Drag Show. I had a blast! It was so fun to connect with older and younger alumni and put on this incredible show. I do British Panto here in Hong Kong and brought over my most recent Dame character, Dame Cherry Tart. She was definitely well loved and loved up at Drag Show. It was an incredible experience.

               

For me, it was really a full circle moment. I would have never been able to perform in a drag show while at Grinnell—it would have been way out of my comfort zone. And the only reason I was able to come back and perform in the drag show 25 years later is because of everything I experienced at Grinnell that helped make me who I am today. It was such a soul-filling experience,

I’m already thinking ahead to my next reunion in 2032!

 

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.
  • Did a friend forward this email to you? Sign up as a member of the Grinnell Rainbow Alumni by submitting your email address here.
• 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 Rainbow Alumni Stonewall Resource Center Endowed 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.
• Sign up to be a mentor: Register for the LGBTQIA+ MentorGrinnell.