Through funding from Blue Cross Blue Shield of MN, RHI prioritizes systems, environmental, and policy change in the areas of tobacco control, physical activity, and healthy nutrition. We do this through community funding, partnerships, events, social marketing campaigns, network building, and coalition work.

Working with Twin Cities Pride, RHI will sponsor the Living Well Park of the Twin Cities Pride festival this year. This area will include many health service organizations an area of Pride that focuses on health and wellness. Also in this area, RHI will provide a large entertainment area that will include  karaoke, body art, hula hoop classes, and lots more.

Around pride season, everyone should have a chance to celebrate. We have members of our community who are in recovery from substance abuse, who have young children, or who want healthier alternatives where they can celebrate pride without being in a bar or club. In collaboration with Pride Institute and Neighborhood Involvement Program, RHI hosts Fruit Bowl! This is a chance for people to come out and enjoy an event that is both alcohol and tobacco free and fun for all ages! The event includes bowling, body art, costumes, karaoke, and of course, prizes!

To increase the amount of healthy images of LGBTQ communities, Rainbow Health Initiative will hold it's third annual LGBTQ Photo Contest. The contest will conclude with prizes for several community artists, a gallery opening in June, and winning art will be featured in RHI materials.

RHI will be a proud sponsor of many MN pride events this year. So far we plan to have health and wellness areas/booths at the following Pride Festivals: South Central MN (Mankato), Duluth, Moorhead, Rochester, Twin Cities, Twin Cities Black, and St. Cloud. Want us at your Pride? Contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . We are proud to sponsor healthy food options at both East Central MN Pride and Brainerd Pride this year!

RHI conducts an annual health assessment survey of LGBTQ communities and their allies.  In 2010 we collected over 1,500 surveys at LGBTQ events, venues, and online. Please take our 2011 Survey to assist us in gathering a more comprehensive health assessment.

RHI has been participating in a State-wide LGBT Health and Wellness Group to focus advocacy and LGBTQ health. This group of concerned individuals are developed priorities for LGBT health advocacy including cultural competency training, health services development for clinics and medical providers, a service provider directory, and much more. We are currently in the beginning stages of starting the provider directory as our first project.

 RHI trains health care providers in areas of cultural competency and health disparities. RHI provides multiple trainings, educational opportunities, and conference presentations each year on a wide variety of topics including LGBTQ competency Coalition Building in Priority Populations, Tobacco in LGBTQ Communities, Health Disparities, Importance of Data Collection in LGBTQ Communities, & LGBTQ Youth Pregnancy.

Rainbow Health has been re-funded for year two from the Women's Foundation of MN to conduct interviews and focus groups with LGBTQ young adults to explore why these youth have a higher pregnancy rate than heterosexual youth. Utilizing the data from these focus groups, we will partner with MOAPPP, Pro-Choice Resources, and Midwest Health Center for women to develop outreach materials and programming for pregnancy prevention for LGBTQ youth/young adults.

In collaboration with the HIPS (HIV/STI Intervention and Prevention Studies) Program within the Division of Epidemiology at the University of Minnesota's School of Public Health, RHI is the community partner for a formative research project funded by Clearway Minnesota.The project involves formative research to develop a physician-delivered tobacco cessation intervention for people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). The aim of this study is to increase the understanding of HIV/AIDS patients and their experiences with tobacco cessation.

Rainbow Health Initiative (RHI) is proud to announce the recent grant awarded by the Minnesota Department of Health’s Tobacco-free Communities grant initiative. The anticipated funding amount is $205,000 for the first year. Locally driven efforts to create tobacco-free environments and change community norms are important strategies for decreasing youth smoking rates.  Research shows that young people who are exposed to smoking at home or in public settings are more likely to smoke as adolescents.  This award will fund a partnership between RHI and Catalyst for a new leadership development program for young adults who wish to work on tobacco control issues in Minnesota. The goal is to counter pro-tobacco influences for LGBTQ college-age young adults through social norm change. RHI and Catalyst will achieve contract goals by utilizing a social marketing campaign, youth engagement strategies, and leadership, policy and advocacy training.