Twelve Interesting Facts About the Rainbow Mensans

  1. We have two members who appeared on Jeopardy.  One of them became a champion.
  2. The other Jeopardy contestant also appeared successfully on Who Wants to be a Millionaire. (He was one step away from a million dollars when he stopped his play and took his winnings.)
  3. We have a three-time Ironman triathlete.
  4. We have a member of the Chicago LGBTQ+ Hall of Fame.
  5. We have a doctor who volunteers to teach other doctors in Ethiopia how to perform ear surgeries.
  6. We have a former member who was largely responsible for establishing the rules for transgender individuals competing in the Boston Marathon.   (The adoption of the rules had a cascading effect with many other worldwide races adopting the same rules.)
  7. Current members of the Rainbow SIG collectively have traveled to 108 different countries. This does not include the past member who individually traveled to 125 countries.
  8. Sixty-four percent of Mensans nationwide have advanced degrees as do many members of the Rainbow SIG.
  9. One of our members is on the board of 15 which governs 50,000 Mensans nationwide.
  10. Our parent organization, Chicago Area MENSA®, has been voted the best local group in the nation 15 times out of 23 years.  No other MENSA® group comes close.
  11. The Rainbow SIG is the most active local LGBTQ group in the country.
  12. Two of our members were the first couple nationwide to have met in MENSA® and subsequently marry in a same-sex ceremony.

Travel

As indicated above, our membership is widely traveled.  There have been at least 300 visits in total to foreign countries by members of our group—that does not include repeat visits to the same country.  One of our members has been to England dozens of times.  The number of countries visited by an average participant in a group survey is 21. We recently lost a member who had been to 125 countries.  He was not part of the survey.

Investing

Many of our members are quite frugal and at the same time avid investors in real estate, the stock market or both.

Education

According to a recently conducted national survey, 64% of American Mensans have advanced degrees.  Many members of the Rainbow SIG, also, have advanced degrees.  Among the degree levels are 

  • PhD (in psychology),
  • PhD in physics
  • JD, 
  • MD, 
  • MBA, 
  • MSW 
  • Master in geophysics, and 
  • Masters of Library Science.

Among the universities past and present members have attended are

  • University of Illinois – Champaign
  • University of Illinois Chicago
  • Northern Illinois University
  • Bradley University
  • Harvard University
  • University of Texas
  • University of St Thomas—Houston, TX
  • Yale University
  • Stanford University
  • Michigan State University
  • Northwestern University
  • DePaul University
  • University of North Dakota

Leadership

Members of the Rainbow SIG tend to be thought leaders among our family and friends. We also are organizational leaders as well. Following is just a sample of the leadership positions held by various members:

  1. President – Windy City Cycling Club
  2. Founder of Congregation of Chadash Chicago
  3. President of a nationwide culinary association
  4. Board Member—Chicago PrimeTimers
  5. President – Chicago Area MENSA®
  6. President of Chicago Victorian Society
  7. President of [library group]
  8. Lake County, IL Chair – Bernie Sanders 2016 Campaign
  9. President of Fox Lake School Board
  10. President of High School Student Body
  11. Board Member of American MENSA®, Ltd.