History of the Gay Picnic in Rochester, New York
The first “Gay” Picnic was held on Sunday, July 30, 1972. In 1972 the GAGV was not in existence. The Gay Liberation Front, the student organization on the University of Rochester Campus and precursor to the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley, held this first picnic. Whitey LeBlanc hosted it in his back yard. It was a small gathering with hot dogs and hamburgers, etc. paid for by the individuals attending.
On April 8, 1973 the University of Rochester Gay Liberation Front voted to reorganize into two autonomous groups, a student group and a city group. Effective July 1, 1973 the Empty Closet publication was transferred to the new city group, the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley. On Sunday, Sept. 9, 1973 the second Gay Picnic was held.
Over the next year, the GAGV became more organized and more structured. On Sunday, July 14 1974 the GAGV held the 3rd Gay Picnic at Durand Park Pavilion at the end of Culver Rd. A $6 fee was charged to go to the Picnic. Cars departed from the GAGV at 12:30 pm. There was a sign – up for a dish to pass or sign-up to pay a buck to provide beverages. Up to this point the picnic was not advertised as a community picnic. All of that would change the following year – 1975.
The benevolence of local bar owners brought Rochester its First Annual Gay Community Picnic on July 20, 1975. The Picnic featured free beer and free food (hot dogs and hamburgers), courtesy of the bars. The idea for this first community picnic was hatched by “Ducky” Schultz, part owner of Jim’s, who won rapid support from his business partners, Jimmy Wilmot and Dick Thomas. Ducky then enlisted other bar owners into the Project. Other sponsors included: Jessie (Red Carpet and Rathskeller), Arnie (Bachelor Forum), and Lou (Riverview).
The original plans included a voluntary donation, but worries about connotations of selling beer in a public park scuttled those plans. Instead, a raffle was held at a cost of $2.00 per ticket. In addition, Board members of the Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley staffed a kissing booth to raise funds. The Alliance Board of Directors immediately dispensed the money raised among its financially troubled affiliate groups – Gay Brotherhood, Lesbian Resource Center, and the Rochester Gay Task Force (media and legislative action). The Alliance also established a building fund for new office space which was promoted at the picnic. The Board sought new facilities to accommodate the new peer counseling program and to provide space for the Task Force and Empty Closet.
The following year, several gay businesses sponsored the Gay Community Picnic held on July 25, 1976. Food and beer were provided free of charge. There were softball and volleyball games, a gay art exhibit, and music. This was also the first Gay Community Picnic to have a political twist. The Vice-Mayor of Rochester, Midge Costanza, and Jean O’Leary talked to the crowd.
In 1977, Rochester’s 5 gay bars – Jim’s, Forum, Rathskellar, Avenue Pub, Riverview – and 1 bath, Roman Sauna put on the picnic at the Barnard Exempt Fire Department Picnic Grounds, off Maiden Lane in Greece. Finally on June 16, 1978, the 3rd Annual Gay Community Picnic was held at Genesee Valley Park sponsored by local gay businesses.
For the past 32 years, the Gay Community Picnic has been held at Genesee Valley Park by the Gay Alliance in all kinds of weather – hot, humid, rainy, windy, and cold. The GAGV eventually took over providing the food and free beer for the picnic. Members of the Picnic Committee and community members prepared and cooked the food for the Picnic. The menu consisted of hot dogs, hamburgers, veggie burgers that were stored at Paul’s Grocery; baked beans prepared by Roy Lawrence from the Avenue Pub; oil based coleslaw prepared in the kitchen at the Holiday Inn Downtown; free beer partially donated by Genesee Brewery; chips and soda. During the ‘80’s, when the AIDS crisis began, a number of gay religious groups wanted to remember our brothers and sisters who were ill and who had died. An ecumenical prayer service was incorporated into the day to provide for this community need. During the late nineties the Picnic became more of a community gathering less focused on fundraising and more on bringing the community together for a picnic. Over the past 4 or 5 years, the Gay Community Picnic has returned to being a major fundraiser for the GAGV. Each year the Picnic Committee has tried to be more inclusive of the diversity that exists within our community. Today we have many gays families in the community, and the Picnic Committee has tried to accommodate this “growing” population by providing more family activities.
Today, the Gay Pride Picnic is a major fundraiser for the GAGV to support the programs and activities of the Alliance. Genesee Valley Park has been the home of the Gay Picnic since 1977. The numbers attending have ranged from 25 in the early days to 3,000+ in more recent years. There is no doubt that the Gay Pride Picnic at this point can be considered an “institution” that is here to stay. It is still a place where young and old can feel free to be themselves and not be afraid. Attending the Pride Picnic is one of the rights of passage into the gay world. The Pride Picnic continues to be a community gathering of proud brothers and sisters of all shapes and sizes, from all walks of life, ethnicities, religious persuasions, political affiliations, young, old, flamboyant, those with physical limitations, and all those who call the Rochester gay community home. Our diversity creates a beautiful rainbow that is unmatched anywhere in the world. See you at the Gay Pride Picnic on July 18, 2010 at Genesee Valley Park from 1 – 7 pm. BE PROUD, BE GAY, BE FREE!!!
Evelyn V. Bailey
