Our Mission

To provide Pride events for the gender-identity and sexual-orientation minority communities and their allies; that inspire, educate, commemorate and celebrate our diverse community; in order to promote an environment for advocacy, outreach, inclusion, and equity for gender-identity and sexual-orientation minorities.

Our Organization

Rochester’s Pridefest began in 1998 under the leadership of Gay and Lesbian Community Services of Southeastern Minnesota (GLCS) and was held every year for nearly two decades.

 

In 2018, GLCS passed the planning of Pride over to a diverse group of LGBTQIA+ residents that became the founding board of directors for the new nonprofit organization named Rochester Pride. 

 

 

According to the Household Pulse Survey (HPS), from the U.S. Census Bureau in March of 2024, more than 460,000  Minnesota adults, or about 11 percent of the population, identify as LGBTQIA+. 

 

 

While Minnesota has made strides toward protecting those identities, the U.S. as a whole is seeing many of those legal protections stripped away. It is more important than ever to celebrate and foster understanding of gender and sexual minorities in these divisive times.

 

There are other Pride celebrations in Minnesota, but no other city has as rich of an international population. As Rochester continues to grow, we are continually presented with new opportunities to refashion this city as a welcoming, inclusive place for people of all gender identities and sexual orientations. We welcome all individuals, organizations, and businesses who are interested in participating as a sponsor to do so. The generosity of the wider community will be critical for Rochester to have a successful annual Pride festival and to affirm that all are welcomed and valued within our community.

 

The Rochester Pride Board of Directors is an elected group of volunteer community members with a range of gender and sexual identities. We are dedicated to celebrating all LGBTQIA+ identities in our city and the surrounding communities, and we strive to grow in our support of the engagement with those individuals and allies.

Our Values

Rochester Pride is committed to creating safer spaces for the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities, which have historically been affected by police brutality and harassment, escalations in violence and hate crimes, and laws that criminalize people from living their truth.


This commitment is rooted in our mission statement to provide Pride events for the gender-identity and sexual-orientation minority communities and their allies; that inspire, educate, commemorate and celebrate our diverse community; in order to promote an environment for advocacy, outreach, inclusion, and equity for gender-identity and sexual-orientation minorities.


Rochester Pride believes in equity and parity in regards to healthcare access. This includes reproductive freedom, gender-affirming healthcare, and ending stigma surrounding HIV.


Additionally we are committed to acknowledging and helping to end the systemic discrimination that has prevented full participation in all aspects of society for marginalized communities. This includes but is not limited to equality in: employment, healthcare, housing, food security, athletic participation, civic participation, access to public facilities, educational access, public safety, judicial due process, inclusion in faith communities, physical abilities, and marriage equality.


In order to advance these goals, Rochester Pride practices action based advocacy, when appropriate, and expects our community partners to also engage in action based advocacy for marginalized communities.


Action based advocacy includes but is not limited to:
● Working towards ending institutional oppression within your organization.
● Understanding and educating the public in regards to current and historical inequities.
● Conducting ongoing research, education, and outreach to support marginalized communities and fight misinformation.
● Having enforceable policies in place within your organization to fight discrimination.
● Advocating against legislation and policies that are harmful to marginalized communities, especially when policies directly affect the operation of your organization or impact your employees.


We acknowledge that action based advocacy may look different for individual organizations depending on the size and capacity of the organization.


Rochester Pride believes in holding discriminatory institutions accountable in our words and actions. Rochester Pride does not partner with institutions and organizations that support or further systemic racism, police brutality, or oppression against minority communities. We also do not partner with institutions and organizations whose actions or inactions run contrary to this values statement.

Adopted 2/16/2023