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Upcoming Events

  1. Apr 23 Lavender Graduation 6:00pm
  2. Apr 28 The Rainbow Showcase5:00pm
  3. Apr 30 De-Stress For The Test 6:00pm
  4. May 7 Rainbow Eats: Staff/Faculty Virtual Lunch Socials, Hosted By QUE12:00pm
  5. May 10 Queer UConn Employees: Parents Lunch12:00pm
  6. Jun 4 Rainbow Eats: Staff/Faculty Virtual Lunch Socials, Hosted By QUE12:00pm
All Events »

Contact Us

Phone: 860-486-5821
rainbowcenter@uconn.edu
Address: 2110 Hillside Road, Unit 3096
Student Union 403
Storrs, CT 06269

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Hours

Semester Hours, Fall 2020

Monday-Friday: Closed, but pro staff is working remotely

Saturday-Sunday: Closed

 

Winter Intersession Hours

Monday-Friday: Closed, but pro staff is working remotely

Saturday-Sunday: Closed

A Message from the Rainbow Center

Hello LGBTQIA+ and Allied Community!

Everyone is welcome at the Rainbow Center.  We pride ourselves on a family-like environment with academic and social opportunities.  We have been serving UConn's diverse communities of gender identities, gender expressions, and sexualities since 1998.  The fun and amazing staff provides resources and services to the wider campus community of students, faculty, staff, and local residents. Please check out our Meet the Staff page in order to get to know each of us.

September 2020 is the Rainbow Center's 22nd Anniversary.  Since our founding, the Rainbow Center has been named one of the best 100 gay-friendly campuses in the country, and received a 4.5 out of 5 rating on the Campus Pride Index Report. We'd love for you to join us at an Out to Lunch Lecture or other upcoming event.

Rainbow Center News

A Message from the Rainbow Center and the Office of Diversity & Inclusion regarding the recent bias incidents against the LGBTQIA+ community at UConn

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Dear UConn students, staff, and faculty,

I am writing to you today to update you that this past month there were two separate reported bias incidents targeting the LGBTQIA+ community on UConn’s campus.

On March 16, an RA in Alumni Hall found images drawn on a dry-erase board in the lounge space. These images referenced the LGBTQIA+ community in a disparaging manner. The Residential Life staff communicated with and offered support to the complainant and other identified witnesses as well as wrote a community response which can be found here.

On March 20, it was reported that around 6:30pm a person in a car driving on North Eagleville Road yelled a derogatory term out the vehicle window.  The Dean of Students Office and the Rainbow Center have reached out to the students targeted and offered support.

I would like to thank all of the individuals who reported the above bias incidents.  University administration is following the bias response protocol. This protocol is designed to assure that there are designated places to report incidents and identify potential interventions to remedy harm done.

These acts of hate against the LGBTQIA+ community do not align with the University of Connecticut’s core values or the mission and values of the Office for Diversity and Inclusion and the Rainbow Center.  LGBTQIA+ individuals comprise UConn’s students, staff, and faculty and are to be celebrated and affirmed as integral members of our global and diverse campus community.

The Office for Diversity and Inclusion and the Rainbow Center want to ensure that those affected by these particular bias incidents receive appropriate support.  Below is a list of different resources available to students, staff, and faculty.  Additionally, the Rainbow Center has designated 1:1 meetings hours held this Wednesday, March 31, and Friday, April 2, for anyone who would like to meet with Kelsey O’Neil to discuss this matter.   Please email the Rainbow Center at rainbowcenter@uconn.edu to reserve your space.   Furthermore, anyone wanting to learn more about queer theory/scholarship can also access the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Department website.

A list of resources to consult:

Sincerely,

Kelsey O’Neil, Director, Rainbow Center

Dr. Frank Tuitt, Vice President/Chief Diversity Officer

A message from the Dean of Students Office about its role and how it can help you

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For the past several semesters, the Assistant Deans at the Dean of Students Office would have drop-in hours at the various cultural centers.  Due to the pandemic, those in-person drop-in sessions have come to a halt.  In response, the Assistant Deans of DOS have prepared a short 7-minute video that details their passion for their work, the Office’s role at the university, and how the Office can help you as a student at UConn.

Meet Paula Wilmot, Luz Burgos-López, and Kim Duby at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwn2SF-KTTc

 

Bias Reporting

What is a bias-related incident?

How can one report it at the University of Connecticut?

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