Bill Text: NY K00968 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Annual Community Gay Pride Picnic of Rochester, New York

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)

Status: (Passed) 2022-05-23 - adopted [K00968 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-K00968-Introduced.html

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Assembly Resolution No. 968

BY: M. of A. Bronson

        COMMEMORATING  the  50th Anniversary of the Annual
        Community Gay Pride Picnic of Rochester, New York

  WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize  the
profound  impact of those exemplary organizations within the great State
of New York which proactively  work  for  the  empowerment  of  minority
communities, and the importance of such work which benefits all citizens
of  this  State,  and  indeed,  all  citizens  of  the Nation, should be
rightfully commended; and

  WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and  in  full  accord  with  its
long-standing  traditions,  this  Legislative  Body  is  justly proud to
commemorate the 50th Anniversary  of  the  Annual  Community  Gay  Pride
Picnic of Rochester, New York; and

  WHEREAS,  The  citizens of the City of Rochester and its surrounding
areas have been committed to the advancement of the notion that New York
is a place where LGBTQ+ individuals can thrive; and

  WHEREAS, In 1971, almost two years following  the  Stonewall  Riots,
the  Rochester  Gay  Liberation Front (a University of Rochester student
organization) assembled over 300 people to perform a "sit-in" at Genesee
Valley Park; that "sit-in" turned into "a happening"  when  participants
brought  food  and  played sports throughout the day; this was the first
local event celebrating Pride in the Rochester community; and

  WHEREAS, The First Annual Community Gay Pride Picnic took  place  in
1972,  the  year  after  the  sit  in, which is often referred to as the
"gay-in"; this first Picnic was organized by courageous LGBTQ+  pioneers
Karen Hagberg, Bob Crystal and Patty Evans; and

  WHEREAS,  The  hosts,  organizers  and  sponsors of the Pride Picnic
change frequently, over the years, and in  1973,  the  Picnic  became  a
fundraiser  for  the  then  newly  created  Gay  Alliance of the Genesee
Valley; and

  WHEREAS, In the 1980s, as  the  national  gay  rights  movement  was
exploding,  changes occurred in almost every LGBTQ+ community across the
country;  the  Pride  Picnic  grew  in  attendance  and  the  number  of
activities,  reaching 2,000 participants in 1983; with further growth in
the 1990s that included over 3,000 people at  most  Pride  Picnics,  and
increases  though-out  the 2000s with attendance reaching close to 4,000
picnickers and festival goers; and

  WHEREAS, In 1989, a Pride Parade was introduced alongside the Annual
Picnic in the City; the first Parade was held on a portion of East  Main
Street  in  the  early  evening of Wednesday, June 28, 1989, on the 20th
Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York City; the choice to  hold
it on this date was a symbolic strategy which would show the citizens of
Rochester that the fight for equal rights remained ongoing; and

  WHEREAS, As the Picnic grew in attendance, the attractions and Pride
activities  grew including: Ride For Pride, Stonewall Cookout, ROC Pride
5K, Silent Disco, Trans Sip and Paint, Drag Bingo, and more; and

  WHEREAS,  This  year,  the  50th Anniversary Pride Picnic's theme is
titled "A Legacy of Pride," with the overall theme for Pride Week  being
"Pride  in  Bloom"  is taking place at the Roundhouse Shelter at Genesee
Valley Park on Sunday, July 10,  2022,  kicking  off  Rochester's  Pride
Week; and

  WHEREAS,  The  2022  Pride  Picnic  is being hosted by the ROC Pride
Collective, a community-based coalition dedicated to celebrating  LGBTQ+
Pride  in  the  Greater Rochester area; they are committed to empowering
all local LGBTQ+ individuals and their  allies,  and  strive  to  create
safe,  open  spaces  where participants can feel comfortable to be their
authentic selves; and

  WHEREAS, Our society is greatly benefited by the purposeful  efforts
of  individuals who unite for the cause of improving the quality of life
for others, and who proactively work toward the goal of dignity for all;
now, therefore, be it

  RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its  deliberations  to
commemorate  the  50th  Anniversary  of  the  Annual Community Gay Pride
Picnic of Rochester, New York; and be it further

  RESOLVED, That a copy of this  Resolution,  suitably  engrossed,  be
transmitted to the ROC Pride Collective.