The Rainbow Connection Network

A Call To Action:

In September of 2010, Tyler Clementi did the unthinkable. He ended his young life, in part because he had been victimized based on his sexuality. There are no words to express the outrage that yet another young person became a victim of not just one or two people, but of a society that still perceives LGBT individuals as "lesser-than" their straight counterparts.

Tyler's death will not be in vain. We at the Rainbow Connection Network vow to take action to assure that other young people somehow find support and positive reinforcement. If nothing changes...nothing changes.

Welcome to our BoardWhi

While we are happy to have new members join our Board of Advisers, we are especially honored to welcome our four newest members. 

Writer/Director Moises Kaufman is among those responsible for "The Laramie Project" which was the catalyst for the founding of our group.

Actor Paul Petersen is very familiar with the tragedy that can befall young people. His group "A Minor Consideration" strives to assure young performers are properly guided through difficult times and receive proper representation and advocacy.

Actress Patty Duke, and her husband Michael Pearce, are our newest members. Patty has written extensively about her life with manic depressive illness and both have expressed their support for LGBT youth. 

What We Do

We believe that education is a key to understanding the wide spectrum of sexual and gender diversity.  To that end, we have sponsored, and will continue to solicit donations to sponsor:

• Books and other media
• LGBT Student organizations, such as Gay/Straight Alliances in schools
• Scholarships and awards

Matthew Shepard 

In October of 1998, 21 year old Matthew Shepard was abducted, beaten and left to die, tied to a fence, on the high plains of Laramie, Wyoming. The play The Laramie Project details the aftermath of the now infamous crime. 

To learn more about Matt, click here. To learn more about The Laramie Project, click here.

Ryan Skipper

In 2007, Ryan Keith Skipper became another victim of homophobic hate. To learn more about him, please click here.

Tyler Clementi

In 2010, Tyler Clementi ended his young life in part due to victimization based on his sexuality. To learn more please click here.