Where We Came From
Rainbow Circle started in September 2019. At inception, the group was intended to serve as a quasi-spiritual meetup group for people who were navigating the intersection of LGBTQ+ identities and their non-affirming faith traditions; particularly those coming from an LDS/Mormon background. The group met weekly at allies’ homes around the Treasure Valley. However, as the Covid-19 pandemic began it became clear that there was a need for affirming mental health resources across the greater LGBTQ+ community.
In August 2021, Rainbow Circle partnered with NAMI Treasure Valley and NAMI Idaho to host meetings, train group facilitators, host events, market our services, and advocate for the Idaho LGBTQ+ community. Through this partnership we’ve been able to consistently facilitate weekly support group meetings, host our annual community BBQueer, and build this website.
Where We're Going
Rainbow Circle is officially recognized as a 501(c)3 non-profit. We are so excited to have taken this big step and look forward to the opportunities it will open up for us. Going forward, we are doing some fundraising to allow us to hold more community events. We’re actively recruiting facilitators to run our group meetings and we hope to ramp up advertising to reach those who need support. Most importantly, we have made the shift from focusing on serving the Treasure Valley to serving the entire state of Idaho. We want to make sure every LGBTQ+ Idahoan has access to affirming mental health care.
