Rainbows in Gastro

Our mission is summarized by charm which stands for: community, healing, advocacy, research, and mentorship. Through each of these pillars, we seek to engage with our community in meaningful ways in order to ultimately provide precision digestive health-related care for our lgbtqia+ patients.

Also in 2025, we were able to initiate our research awards program. This allowed the organization to reimburse/fund a total of 4 trainee members (medical students, residents, and fellows) so that they could present their research about topics related to gastroenterology and the lgbtqia+ community at major gastroenterology conferences. These individuals were viewed by the organization as rising stars and future leaders.

Other programs that Rainbows in Gastro was able to sponsor include a symposium at digestive disease week, where speakers discussed anorectal health and a webinar for lgbtqia+ trainees interested in applying to gastroenterology fellowship. The organization is also in the process of developing an online module looking to improve knowledge of anal cancer screening, as well as anorectal sexually transmitted infections and their management. This module is to be formally released in 2026 with subsequent analysis to determine effectiveness.

Rainbows in Gastro is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 99-1517714) based in Chicago, IL.