Local Resources: Gay Alliance of Genesee Valley

If you are new to Western New York, you might not be privy to the city’s extensive history in the LGBTQ movement that formed what is known today as the Gay Alliance of Genesee Valley (GAGV). The GAGV has been monumental in making Rochester a safer place to live for those who do not fall into a binary with regard to sexuality or gender expression.

You may have witnessed the impact of the GAGV right here on-campus: the rainbow signs hanging by many faculty and staff’s offices indicate they have received SafeZone Training. This training serves as an educational tool to educate supportive faculty, staff, and students on LGBTQ terminology, issues, and questions.

Recently, the GAGV has opened the doors of its new LGBTQ Resource Center at 100 College Avenue in Rochester. This resource center serves an educational and safe space for LGBTQ individuals as well as their allies. The center features a library, archives, and hosts weekly social events.

• The library contains over 10,000 fiction and nonfiction books, periodicals, and DVDs, which are all available for you to borrow. You can browse the center’s collection online via LibraryThing.
• The archives have plenty of historical material that help document the progression of the LGBTQ movement in Rochester, including The Empty Closet, the original publication used to advance the rights of so many individuals in Western New York.
• The resource centers hours are:
  Monday-Friday 9:00am-5:00 pm &
  Wednesdays, 6:00-8:00 pm.
  Everyone is welcome!

If you cannot make it all the way up to Rochester, no worries! Milne Library and SUNY Geneseo have many available LGBTQ resources. You can find many books on LGBTQ topics in Milne’s collection as well as specialized LGBTQ research databases.  Aiden Cropsey, Coordinator of LGBTQ Programs and Services, along with the student-led Pride Alliance, host several events throughout the year, and even have their own floating book collection. You can also like and follow them on Facebook!

All photos and images used with permission from the Gay Alliance of Genesee Valley.

~ written by Brandon West