The Rainbow History Project (RHP) began on November 4, 2000 during a meeting at CyberStop Cafe on 17th Street NW. The Rainbow History Project was organized by Mark Meinke and other individuals, including Charles Rose, Bruce Pennington, Jose Gutierrez, and James Crutchfield. The purpose of the group is "to collect, preserve, and promote an active knowledge of the history, arts, and culture relevant to sexually diverse communities in metropolitan Washington D.C." Since its founding, RHP has collected archives and publications that document these communities in Washington, D.C., and beyond.
Since 2008, RHP has partnered with the DC History Center to collect and preserve related materials. The Rainbow History Project actively solicits, receives, and processes collections. Collections are transferred to the DC History Center, where research access is provided via the Kiplinger Research Library. Some collections are fully processed prior to transfer to the DC History Center; others are processed based on researcher requests. This archival partnership began in 2008, and the collection continues to grow.
