Community Partners
ACTION FOR A BETTER COMMUNITY INC. (ABC) is a community action agency established in 1965 to help low income individuals achieve self-sufficiency. Action Front Center (AFC) is a program of ABC that provides individual counseling, support groups, advocacy and peer training to individuals living with HIV/AIDS or who are at high risk. AFC offers supports groups for HIV positive men of color who have sex with men (MSM) called United Colors and has an AIDS leadership coalition group called Heart 2 Heart which conducts advocacy, outreach and community conversations on issues impacting the LGBTQ+ population especially LGBTQ+ of color.
CITY NEWSPAPER is Rochester’s award-winning alternative newsweekly. For more than 40 years the paper has provided the Greater Rochester area with intelligent analysis of local, national, and international issues, as well as thoughtful and provocative coverage of local music, dance, art, film, theater, and food. City is free at more than 700 locations every Wednesday, with new content daily at rochestercitynewspaper.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram (@roccitynews) or Facebook(facebook.com/CityNewspaper).
COME OUT AND PLAY is a social group formed in 1992 under GAGV for LGBT people and allies. We have several social events such as dinner nights, bike hikes, camping trips, and wine tours throughout the year. We sponsor volleyball every Tuesday night at Cobbs Hill through the summer months, and meet for board and card games at Equal Grounds coffee shop Wednesday nights year round. Find out more by checking out or page on FaceBook (www.facebook.com/COAPNY) or by stopping in for one of our regular events!
CONNECT & BREATHE began as a small group of people with a bold idea, a passion for ending abortion stigma, and a vision of creating a safe space to talk openly and honestly about abortion. Connect & Breathe offers a talkline providing unbiased support and encouragement of self-care. We envision a world free of abortion stigma. Founded by members of the First Unitarian Church of Rochester, NY, Connect & Breathe remains a secular, unbiased nonprofit, freeing the conversation about abortion from the constraints of politics and religion. Since our inception, we have talked to people from across the U.S. and beyond. Our work remains staunchly outside of the political debate about abortion and inclusive of diverse religious perspectives, while not representing or advocating for any particular religion or faith. We treat every caller as an individual. We trust every caller’s decision and beliefs. We are here to listen. Call us at (866) 647-1764, or follow us on Facebook atfacebook.com/connectbreathe for more information and resources.
DOWNTOWN UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH celebrates the beautiful diversity of gender and sexual orientation. The congregation thrives on spiritual diversity as well, listening to and learning from each other in an open-ended, exploratory conversation that delights us and sustains our work toward peace and justice for all. We invite you to visit us at www.downtownpresbyterian.org or call our pastor, Rev. Dr. Pat Youngdahl, at 325-4000, ext. 22.
FLOWER CITY PRIDE BAND has been performing in Rochester, NY since 1993. We are an all-volunteer community band open to adult LGBT musicians and allies playing woodwind, brass or percussion instruments. Flower City Pride Band performs throughout the year at community events in western New York, including the Breast Cancer Walk, the Rochester Pride Parade, and the Park Avenue Winter Open House. The Flower City Pride Band is a proud member of the Lesbian and Gay Band Association (LGBA).
THE GAY ALLIANCE has been a champion for Western New York’s LGBTQ communities for over forty years, providing advocacy, education and community-enriching programs that span the ages and interests of our vibrant communities. In December of 2015 the Alliance opened the Rochester LGBTQ Resource Center, which includes a lending library (which includes DVDs), and Gallery Q. The Alliance may be best known for producing the annual Rochester PrideFest celebration and the Empty Closet newspaper. Please visit gayalliance.org to learn more about our work and activities.
THE GAGV LIBRARY & ARCHIVES holds the largest collection of LGBT materials in New York State including novels, plays, poetry, non-fiction, magazines, movies, and the ImageOUT submission collection. It’s also a clearinghouse for archival collections including personal papers and organizational records, and stores a run of The Empty Closet (which is the longest continually produced LGBT publication in the US). Most items can be borrowed. For more information visit http://www.gayalliance.org/programs/library-archives/ or email library@gayalliance.org for more information or to make a donation of library materials.
GEVA THEATRE CENTER Founded in 1972, Geva Theatre Center is a not-for-profit, professional theatre company dedicated to creating and producing professional theatre productions, programs and services of a national standard. As Rochester’s leading professional theatre, Geva is the most attended regional theatre in the Northeast US, and one of the 25 most subscribed in the country, serving up to 160,000 patrons annually, including more than 16,000 students. The 526-seat Wilson Stage is home to a wide variety of performances, from musicals to American and world classics. The 180-seat Fielding Stage is home to Geva’s own series of contemporary drama, comedy and musical theatre; Geva Comedy Improv; Geva’s New Play Reading Series and the Hornets’ Nest – an innovative play-reading series facilitating community- wide discussion on controversial topics. In addition, the Fielding Stage hosts visiting companies of both local and international renown. Geva offers a wide variety of education organization has been under the artistic direction of Mark Cuddy.
THE HIGH FALLS FILM FESTIVAL (November 2-6 2017) celebrates the artistry and innovation of women in film-behind the camera, in leading roles on the screen, and at the heart of storylines. Our focus on women in film is inspired by our city’s legacy as the birthplace of film and the women’s rights movement. The offerings include an international slate of independent films, workshops, panels and talks with the filmmakers. To learn more, please visit www.highfallsfilmfestival.com.
THE HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN represents a force of more than 1.5 million members and supporters nationwide. As the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer civil rights organization, HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are ensured of their basic equal rights, and can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community. For information on volunteering in the Western NY area, contact Carol Ebersole-Weiss at: carol.HRC4WNY@gmail.com
THE JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER OF ROCHESTER ESTABLISHED THE AMES AMZALAK JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL in 2001, to present the best contemporary Jewish themed films from around the world to the Rochester Community. The Festival celebrates and promotes pride in the diversity of all people and provides an international showcase for filmmakers who are Jewish or whose work explores Jewish themes, to provide a forum for exploring culture, history, and contemporary issues through film. RJFF is underwritten by the William and Sheila Konar Foundation, and the Rubens Family Foundation. We are especially proud of our 18 year community partnership with ImageOut! The dates of the 2018 Jewish Film Festival are July 8-16.
JORDAN HEALTH AT COMMUNITY PLACE offers reproductive health services and primary care to adolescents ages 12-25. Our specialties include physicals, sick visits, PrEP, STI/HIV testing and treatment, birth control, pregnancy options counseling, and health education programs. Call us to make an appointment at 585-784-5940 and visit us at 145 Parsells Avenue or online at jordanhealth.org.
THE LGBT FUND FOR GREATER ROCHESTER AT ROCHESTER AREA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION was formed by a group of like-minded individuals and households interested in grassroots philanthropy to transgender people and allies now and in the future. The LGBT Giving Circle members support the fund with annual contributions which will be used to award grants to nonprofit organizations that bridge diversity and cultivate community. Find out more at www.racf.org/LGBT.
LITERACY VOLUNTEERS OF ROCHESTER, INC. improves the reading, English language, math, and digital literacy skills of participating adults in Monroe County. Our trained volunteers support participants in achieving their personal goals in order to fully participate in the community as citizens, parents, consumers, and workers.
THE MOCHA CENTER’S mission is to improve the health and wellness of LGBTQ communities of color. Founded in 1996, The MOCHA Center has educated LGBTQ communities of color in Rochester and Buffalo about HIV/AIDS for over two decades. We offer HIV testing, a transgender support group, and linkage to care (PEP, PrEP, HIV treatment, and primary care). In addition, The MOCHA Center is a place where people gather, find friendship, and explore their sexual and gender identities in community. In 2015, The MOCHA Center joined Trillium Health, expanding their commitment to health care for communities of color. The two agencies are committed to providing a culture of compassion for the people they serve. The MOCHA Center: Rochester is located at 189 N. Water St. Their phone number is (585) 420-1400.
THE NEW YORK CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION (NYCLU) is one of the nation’s foremost defenders of civil liberties and civil rights. Founded in 1951 as the New York affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, we are a not-for-profit, nonpartisan organization with eight chapters and regionaloffices and nearly 50,000 members across the state. Our mission is to defend and promote the fundamental principles and values embodied in the Bill of Rights, the U.S. Constitution, and the New York Constitution, including freedom of speech and religion, and the right to privacy, equality and due process of law for all New Yorkers.
PRIDE AT WORK AFL-CIO, Rochester/Finger Lakes Chapter, is affiliated as a constituency group of the American Federation of Labor & Congress of Industrial Organizations. The purpose of Pride At Work is to mobilize mutual support between the organized labor movement and the LGBT community around organizing for social and economic justice. Membership is open to all regardless of union status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression and supports outreach and advocacy activities here in Rochester, throughout New York State, and nationwide. Follow local activities on the PAW blog at: www.prideatwork.blogspot.com and contact President Bess Watts by email at besswhat@gmail.com or call (585) 770-4714.
THE ROCHESTER GAY MEN’S CHORUS Celebrating its 35th year of voices raised in song, the Rochester Gay Men’s Chorus creates social change through excellence in the choral arts. The RGMC has nurtured pride, acceptance, and the diversity of our communities, participated in outreach opportunities, and utilized the gift of song to raise awareness and education of LGBT issues.
ROCHESTER VICTORY ALLIANCE at the University of Rochester Medical Center: Approximately 14,000 new HIV infections occur daily around the world. Even with advances in treatment of HIV/AIDS, infection rates continue to rise in many communities. We know we can’t treat our way out of this pandemic. We need a long-term solution: an HIV vaccine. Since 1988, the Rochester Victory Alliance has conducted more than 100 clinical studies to learn more about HIV vaccines. More than 1,500 local volunteers have stepped up to join one of our studies. With every study we do, we learn more about which vaccine strategies will work best. Today, because of the support from our volunteers and community advocates alike, we continue to build upon this research with ongoing and upcoming clinical studies. To learn more about volunteering for an HIV vaccine study, please call the Rochester Victory Alliance at 585-756-2329 or find us online: www.RochesterVictoryAlliance.org.
TEMPLE SINAI This congregation began in 1959 when two-dozen families came together to establish a new Reform congregation in the Rochester area. Their goal to create a synagogue that lived up to Reform Jewish values and that provided a safe and inclusive environment for Jewish spiritual, educational and social fulfillment remains strong and vibrant today. In almost seventy years, the congregation has grown to a membership of approximately 650 families comprised of newcomers and old-timers, children and adults, Jews with abilities and disabilities, individuals, couples and families, gay and straight, Jews by birth and by choice, non-Jewish partners and spouses. There is a culture of warmth and connectedness with and among our congregants. We nurture and cherish our culture of inclusiveness, our sense of community and our sense of respect for all. Temple Sinai is a diverse and welcoming congregation. Contact: Judy Schwartz
TRILLIUM HEALTH promotes health equity by providing affordable and extraordinary primary and specialty care, including LGBTQ health care. We are a Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Healthcare Equality Index leader in LGBTQ-affirming health care. Located at 259 Monroe Avenue, services include primary, sexual, and mental health care, HIV and hepatitis treatment, an onsite pharmacy, PrEP and PEP (HIV-prevention medications), and insuranc enrollment. We offer 24/7 access to PEP (HIV post-exposure prophylaxis). Trillium Health’s major programs are built around the New York State initiative to End the HIV Epidemic by 2020. Call 585-545-7200, or visit trilliumhealth.org. For PEP: 585-241-9000. For PrEP: 585-454-PrEP (7737).
WRITERS AND BOOKS promotes reading and writing as lifelong activities for people of all ages and backgrounds. Each year our community-wide reading programs, writing classes for youth and adults, and services engage more than 25,000 Rochester-area residents of all ages and backgrounds in locations throughout the community. We reach people of all levels of interest in reading and writing and our programs are designed to help people discover the important part that literature plays in our individual lives and the life of our community. The Gell Center of the Finger Lakes, our retreat center in Naples, offers space for meeting rentals. Writers & Books is located at 740 University Ave. Rochester, NY 14607, (585) 473-2590, www.wab.org.
WXXI PUBLIC BROADCASTING is an award-winning PBS / NPR broadcast family of television, radio and online services dedicated to meeting cultural, civic and educational needs of its audience. WXXI operates 5 television stations, 6 radio stations and The Little Theatre providing programs for Rochester, Geneva, Ithaca and Alfred, NY areas. WXXI’s partnership with cultural and educational agencies helps to engage audiences with thought-provoking, community based programming; focusing on the arts, education, health and citizenship. Learn more: Go Public at WXXI.ORG.
