Rainbow History Project

Rainbow History Project’s mission is to collect, preserve and promote the history and culture of the diverse LGBTQ communities in metropolitan Washington, D.C. We are an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization and membership is free. We invite you to get involved.

Our commitment to diversity

Rainbow History’s mission can only be accomplished if our collections, volunteers and programming fully reflect and represent Washington, D.C.’s diverse LGBTQ communities and allies. We are committed to seeking out the active participation and involvement of individuals of all backgrounds—particularly those from under-represented groups—who are committed to RHP’s goals.

We honor and include all who identify as LGBTQIA2S(plus). To make this website more screen-reader and visual-processing friendly, we have chosen to use the initialism LGBTQ throughout the website. We welcome you to contact us about our language use.

Our work

Rainbow History’s physical collection of documents, manuscripts and photographs has its home at the DC History Center. Our online archives contain more than 1,400 searchable items. We continually collect materials, information and stories that reflect the diversity of the D.C.-area LGBTQ community.

Archiving historical materials

Collecting oral histories

Giving walking tours

Offering public presentations

Recognizing Community Pioneers

Providing research assistance