About

As queer people in Madison, WI, have gained more acceptance in mainstream culture, the need for safe, queer spaces seems to have dissipated.

Yet with the pandemic fostering isolation, the queer community more spread out, and a resurgence of anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment nationally, friends Chris Dunham and Lee Kampa felt the need to help create safe, common spaces for queer people across the rainbow to gather and connect.

That’s why, in 2021, they started the Rainbow Happy Hour group on group organizing and networking site Meetup and Facebook. The group hosts regular coffee klatch, happy hour, business networking events, and more for the queer community at local businesses, and our new website features a LGBTQ+ local business directory.

Our group, at a glance:

600+ Meetup Members

700+ Facebook Members

40+ Events Hosted

Mission

While not a formal nonprofit at this time, we’re a group of people that want to create spaces for queer folx in Madison of all walks of life to connect socially or professionally without an implicit agenda or costly barriers to entry.

We strive to be:

  • Inclusive: All queer people are welcome at our events. That means all the letters.

  • Accessible: Our events are either low-cost or free so that everyone can afford to attend.

  • Family-friendly: We want to create welcoming environments for queer parents and families to find community and get out. That’s why most of our events are family-friendly.

Leadership

  • Lee Kampa

    Co-founder, Host

  • Chris Delamarter

    Chris Delamarter

    Co-founder, Host

FAQs

  • Our only ground rules are: 1) be respectful, 2) grab a nametag with your name and pronouns when you come in so everyone knows how to address you, and 3) if someone is wearing a name tag, they’re fair game to talk to—no guesswork necessary!

  • The entire queer community: Everyone is welcome.

  • The majority of our events are held in family-friendly businesses, and kids often attend, but we do sometimes host events in over-18 spaces. Just double-check the event details.

  • We strive to make our events open, inclusive, family-friendly, and accessible, hosted at queer-owned and/or friendly spaces in the greater Madison, WI area. We provide name tags and clear signage to direct you to the correct area of our host space. We usually attract a small to medium-sized crowd.

  • RSVPs are appreciated, but not required for our social events. For our business events, an RSVP may be required due to capacity limitations—please check the details for each event.

Contact us

Talk to Chris or Lee to get answers, discuss partnerships, or offer to pitch in. We’re always looking for volunteers to lend a hand however they can.