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History of Pride in Rochester

In 1969, the Stonewall Riots in New York City marked what is considered the beginning of the gay liberation movement in the United States. For much of the world, June is dedicated to celebrating Pride, which includes one of the largest parades in New York City. Many Rochesterians travel to New York City to participate in this iconic celebration, which is one of the reasons that Rochester has started organizing its own Pride Parade in July rather than in June.

On July 16, 1972, Rochester held its first annual Gay Community Picnic. The event has grown over the years, attracting sponsors and raising money for causes important to the community. Fast forward to the present day, the Rochester community now hosts a variety of LGBTQ+ events, organizations, and causes that support and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community in our city.

[Natalia Rodríguez Medina 2022, Democrat and Chronicle, accessed July 10, 2024]

The Rochester Americans are proud to celebrate Pride and support the LGBTQ+ community year-round. We strive to support and build an inclusive and safe space for all those who love hockey, both at Blue Cross Arena and throughout the community. For the last few seasons, we have proudly hosted Pride Night, a day committed to celebrating love, inclusion, and hockey. Leading up to Pride Night, we have had specialty jerseys, hats, pucks, and other items auctioned off, with proceeds supporting local LGBTQ+ organizations. To stay up to date on what is happening for Pride Night this season, sign up HERE.

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For the first time, we're also excited to share that we will be walking in this year's Rochester Pride Parade, on Saturday, July 20! The parade will begin on South Ave and march towards Highland Park. We can't wait to see you all there and spread the love.

You can learn more about Rochester Pride HERE

Local resources

Trillium Health

Trillium Health provides a community health center with great care for all, including LGBTQ+ health, ensuring equitable, judgment-free and affordable care.

Finger Lakes Pride Center

A local agency that provide a variety of free services for LGBTQ individuals and familie for support and advocacy.

LGBTQ Landmarks Initiative

The Landmark Society of Western New York, Inc., is one of the nation’s oldest and most active historic preservation organizations. They offer a unique opportunity to educate the Rochester community about the history of the local LGBTQ movement and add to the sense of pride about the place that our city occupies in the fight for civil rights & human dignity throughout our nation’s history.

Rochester Rainbow Union

The Rochester Rainbow Union uplifts and supports all members of the greater Rochester rainbow community through inclusive and equitable outreach, education, and collaboration.

The SafeZone Initiative

The SafeZone Initiatives delivers LGBTQ+ inclusion trainings to K-12 districts, colleges, universities, healthcare agencies, religious institutions, non-profits, and corporations. Their aim is to ensure that every LGBTQ+ youth feels embraced, validated, and never experiences a moment of isolation.

National Resources

PFLAG Rochester

PFLAG is the first and largest organization dedicated to supporting, educating, and advocating for LGBTQ+ people and their families.

Center for Black Equity

The vision of the Center for Black Equity is to build a global network of LGBTQIA+ individuals, allies, community-based organization, and Prides dedicated to achieving equality and social justice for the Black LGBTQIA+ community through health equity, economic equity, and social equity.