Shoulders to Stand On

Are You Queer as a $3 Bill?

Shoulders to Stand On, the archival and documentary project celebrating the LGBT history of Rochester, NY, needs your support. The Goal: Have every LGBT person or straight ally in the Rochester, NY region contribute at least $3 to help us raise $130,000.

Be part of the big picture. Help us complete our documentary in time for the 20th Anniversary ImageOut Film Festival in 2012.

Make a donation online or mail your contribution to:

GAGV Shoulders to Stand On Project
875 E. Main St., Suite 500
Rochester, NY  14605
Attn:  Evelyn Bailey

Tony Mascioi - Thank You for Your Shoulders! We Met Your $10,000 Challenge!

by Evelyn Bailey

In October, 2011 I asked Anthony Mascioli, a friend, native Rochestarian, and gay business man, for a rather large donation to the Shoulders To Stand On 90 minute Documentary on the LGBT History of Rochester. 

I explained that the documentary has been in the making for over 40 years, and that our history needed to be documented and preserved.  He responded by saying he is much more comfortable Matching Donations than just giving a donation outright.  Thus began the planning for raising $10,000 between December 2, 2011 and January 15, 2012. 

Bob Dardano Comments

I was proud to work on the staff of The Empty Closet in the early-80s, and am glad UR had a hand in digitizing the paper.

In the mid-70s when I went to UR, I almost went to a GLF meeting, but got scared and turned away before I got to the door of the meeting room.

Thankfully, by time the group was reconstituted in the early-80s, I was fully out and able to be part of the group

Are You As Queer As a $3 Bill?

by Evelyn Bailey

Today Shoulders To Stand On announces a $10,000 Matching Donation.  Mr. Anthony Mascioli (shown in the picture on the left with Kevin Indovino) will match all monies that are donated to Shoulders To Stand On between December 2, 2011 and January 15, 2012 that total $10,000.  A Rochester success story, Tony was born in Rochester, left Rochester and in 1974 opened the Wall Street Sauna in New York City with two other partners. Tony now splits his time between Rochester, NY and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Shoulders To Stand On is at a critical point in its fundraising efforts.  WE NEED YOUR HELP! THE GOAL: Have every LGBT person or straight ally in the Rochester region contribute at least $3 to help us raise $120,000.

History Corner: December 1970 and 1971

by Evelyn Bailey

Merry Christmas!
From the U of R Campus Times 1970
Friday, December 4, 1970
Page 3 article. “UR Gay Liberation Front to Analyze Institutions”
(Listed events include: rap session (12/12), doctor on venereal disease in upstate New York (1/9/1971), psychologist on psychology of homosexuality (1/23), group discussion of gay literature (2/6), panel of clergymen on sexuality and human rights (2/26), a study of homosexuality in segregated institutions (3/6))

40 Years of The Empty Closet Are Digitized!

by Evelyn Bailey

The official launch was Tuesday, Nov. 15 – the University of Rochester has uploaded, indexed and completed the necessary links – Empty Closet newspapers from January, 1971 through April, 2010 will be accessible through U of R server for online search engines to access!

In April, 2010 the Gay Alliance, in partnership with the University of Rochester’s Rare Books and Manuscript department, moved forward on digitizing The Empty Closet for research purposes and to preserve this primary source for Rochester LGBT history. Richard Peek, Director of the Rare Books and Manuscript Department offered to have the University pay for the microfilming. Shoulders To Stand On raised the remainder of the funds for digitization.

Gerry Szymanski, GAGV Library and Archives

by Susan Jordan

Gerry Szymanski is a professional librarian who works at the Sibley Library of the Eastman School.He is also a photographer, filmmaker, animator, classical music DJ and much more. However, it was for his years of dedicated volunteer work with the Library and Archives that the Gay Alliance honored Gerry at the volunteer appreciation party on Sept. 27.

The Library, located next to the GAGV Youth Center, currently has 5,000 titles, 300 videos and over 1,000 periodicals, including very early and rare magazines like “One” and “The Ladder.” The Archive, housed in a basement storage room, was recently re-organized by volunteers, and is connected to the Shoulders to Stand On history project. Computers with Internet access are available during library hours as part of the David Bohnett Cyber Center. For hours, see end of article.

Search Past Issues of the Empty Closet Online!

You can now search issues of the Empty Closet from its very beginning - January 1971 - to as current as April 2010 at the University of Rochester's website:  www.lib.rochester.edu/index.cfm?page=4800.

A special thanks to Evelyn Bailey, Project Manager, Shoulders to Stand On, and Melissa Mead, Director, Digital Project Research Center, University of Rochester Libraries, for making this happen.

MOCHA's Evolution

By Evelyn Bailey

In September the new Executive Director of MOCHA, Bruce E. Smail, was officially welcomed by the Rochester community. The list of MOCHA’s Executive Directors benchmark the organization’s achievements in fighting HIV/AIDS in communities of color in the Rochester and Buffalo areas. Every organization has a beginning. For MOCHA that beginning took place 15 years ago.

In 1996 Gary English, a young gay Black man who was an Americorp worker at the Rochester Center for Independent Living (RCIL), expressed concern and dismay over the lack of attention to and services for gay African American men in the community. He felt that this demographic had needs, issues and unique concerns that were specific to their life experiences as men of color living with HIV/AIDS.

Gay Pride Rochester NY June 28, 1989

Jay Baker, The First Editor of The Empty Closet