As part of PRIDE month and GLOW OUT, the Richmond Memorial Library hosted a drag queen story hour in the children's section with drag queen Chaka Khanteven.

It was a capacity audience for the event with 35 children attending and participating in a craft event after the reading.

Photos by Howard Owens.

Press release:

With the support of Rochester Regional Health and a multitude of local, caring churches and organizations, GLOW OUT! will kick off Pride Month with a variety of youth-centered events on June 1 in Batavia.

Festivities begin at 3:30 pm at the Jerome Center’s War Memorial with a youth-created and youth-led Opening Ceremony featuring the Pride Flag being raised to Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” and hearing from youth what Pride means to them.

LGBTQ+ youth and their allies (ages 12-21) are then invited to GO Art! from 4:00 to 6:00 pm for their Drop-In Center which provides a safe space to share challenges and triumphs, meet new friends, and get ready for Pride. Visitors also have the opportunity to meet with a team of informed and supportive medical professionals from UMMC's Batavia Primary Care’s Family Medicine Doctors who are ready to answer questions and provide resources before summer starts.

The fun continues from 6:30 – 8:30 pm at Batavia’s First Presbyterian where a number of churches and organizations are throwing a big, fabulous Block Party featuring the Ice Cream and Chill Truck, rock painting, tie-dying, and tons of family fun! Feeling extra festive? Then come dressed in your ultimate Pride outfit, ready to dance, be fabulous, and win some really great prizes! During this time GLOW OUT! will also announce their Rainbow Court made up of the youth leaders for the upcoming year. These five superstars represent youth from three counties who work hard in their high school GSAs (Gender and Sexuality Alliances), and have been selected to share their talents in education, social justice, fundraising, social media, and activity planning. They will be creating meaningful and engaging events for the region’s LGBTQ+ in the year ahead and celebrating in the Pride Parade. We hope you join us in announcing and congratulating them! All ages are
welcome.

GLOW OUT! is thrilled to be starting our festivities with immense community support! Your appreciation and support of the LGBTQ+ population and the need to protect our youth has never been clearer. We thank you for your support! As the youth reminds us in their choice of songs, we’re all born beautiful!

• I'm beautiful in my way because God makes no mistakes
• I'm on the right track, baby, I was born this way
• Don't hide yourself in regret, just love yourself, and you're set
• I'm on the right track, baby, I was born this way

Pride Kick-Off events are free and open to the public. Please visit www.glowout.org for more information about the organization and upcoming Pride events, including the Parade and Festival taking place on June 11 in Batavia.

By contracting with GLOW OUT, an organization dedicated to providing services for those identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer (questioning), Genesee County is opening the door to “a friendly place” for youth -- free from bullying and discrimination.

That’s the view of Lynda Battaglia, director of Mental Health & Community Services, and William Schutt, Youth Bureau director, who presented a resolution this afternoon to the County Legislature’s Human Services Committee seeking $4,000 in start-up funding.

Schutt informed the committee that the idea for a support group in the GLOW (Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming county) region – similar to the established GLYS, WNY, Inc. in Buffalo – started after he learned about a student who was being bullied at school “for a perception of being LGBTQ.”

“That student was told that he could go to the (school’s) GSA (Gay Straight Alliance group), but he said, ‘Then I would out myself for sure in a place where I don’t really feel comfortable in.’”

That set the wheels in motion for Schutt to contact GLOW OUT President Gregory Hallock, who also is executive director of the Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council in Batavia. GLOW OUT rents space from GO Art!

Following a presentation by Hallock and board members’ training with GLYS personnel, Schutt said everyone had a better idea of how the organization could make a positive difference in the lives of youth (ages 12-21) in that specific population.

“It’s giving somebody a friendly place to go for a couple hours, a couple times of month, for them to be themselves,” Schutt said.

Battaglia said she, as director of community services, has the responsibility “to identify gaps or holes and services in the community for all populations that fall under health services – mental health, substance abuse and developmental disabilities.”

“It is a service that’s needed,” she said. “To put it in … context, if you think of what social determinants of health are -- so you are in the center and you can think about these positive determinants that you need in order to live a healthy and whole life.

“So, like education, at school, maybe community supports, family supports, access to medical care, access to mental health care -- all of these things that encompass you, as a person, and what LGBT youth are faced with is a very difficult and challenging ability to acquire these positive social determinants of health.”

Battaglia said LGBTQ youth face a significant amount of stigma and shame, and are at a high risk of bullying in school and in their families.

“They're at high risk for substance abuse. They're at high risk of becoming a runaway, becoming homeless, which leads to a whole host of other negative aspects, including medical and mental health,” she added. “And when we think about suicide, in general, for individuals ages 10 to 24, suicide is the second leading cause of death in the United States for youth that identify as LGBTQ. They contemplate suicide three to four times more so than their peers.”

GLOW OUT will offer mentors, allies and a safe space to talk about life issues, she said, noting that the $4,000 already had been budgeted for special projects.

Referrals from school personnel and families are high right now, Battaglia said, making it doubly important to establish a support group outside of the school setting.

She said if a student is being bullied at his or her school because he or she identifies as LGBTQ, the likelihood of that person wanting to get additional supports within that school is minimal.

“They face further shame, stigmatization and bullying, so they’re not going to the GSAs,” she said. “And when a student gets to our mental health agency, and if this is an area that they need assistance with, we don't have anywhere to refer them to. So, this is a vital service that’s essentially non-existent right now in the county.”

Battaglia said she will be contacting her counterparts in the other three counties to see if they would also provide funding. She also said grants are available for these types of programs.

The Human Services Committee approved the request to appropriate $4,000 for the rest of the calendar year, moving the resolution to the full legislature for consideration.

Information provided by GLOW OUT! and GO ART!

The long "weekend" of events celebrating LGTBQ+ Pride Month continues in Batavia through June 13, hosted by GLOW OUT! and GO ART!

This evening, June 11, from 6 to 8:30 at the Batavia First Presbyterian Church (300 E. Main St.), there will be a Game Night and Royal Court Competition, for all ages. There will be food (individually wrapped), outdoor games and board games, plus free make-and-take baby sunflowers and sidewalk chalk art.

The Royal Court Competition at the church begins at 7:30 p.m. and is open to all genders and ages. It is judged on best costume and dance moves. The theme is DISCO. All are invited to attend. Masks are required. Regulations are subject to change.

Also tonight from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. at GO ART! (201 E. Main St., Batavia) there will be a Disco Open Mic and Piano Bar hosted by the incomparable Drag Queen -- Ms. Figgy Pudding. This event will be for ages 21+.

GO ART! is opening Tavern 2.o.1, for the first time since the coronavirus shutdown in March of 2020, for the LGBTQ+ community. Come read your favorite poem, try your skills at stand-up and disco, or sing your favorite Broadway tune (bring your own music our look through our extensive collection). GO ART!'s own Theresa Kehl will be at the piano.

There is no door fee, but tipping your entertainers is encouraged. Masks are required at this event. Regulations are subject to change.

Saturday, June 12, is the annual Pride Parade starting at 10 a.m. at GO ART! If marching, lineup will be at 9 a.m. We proceed from GO ART's historic Seymour Place building to Dwyer Stadium (at Denio and Bank) where the Pride Festival will be held.

This will feature a cornhole tournament hosted by Pride Sports USA (volunteers needed to assist), and be full of amazing Drag Queen performances, including our headliner, Mrs. Kasha Davis from "RuPaul’s Drag Race"! Also entertaining will be the Buffalo Gay Men's Chorus, the Fortunatones, and more! Vivian Darling & DeeDee Dubois will be emceeing.

The festival at the stadium runs from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. and is the only event city requiring a ticket. Food and alcohol concessions will be offered for purchase by Dwyer Stadium.

On June 12 there will also be a concert at Jam at the Ridge in Le Roy starting at 4 p.m. The headline performer will be Ddendyl Hoyt, of Western New York, who is best known for her appearance on Season 6 of NBC’s “The Voice.” Tickets are $10 for lawn seats; $20 for VIP seating.

On Sunday, June 13 its Drag Queen Story Hour at GO-ART! at 10 a.m. and again at 1 p.m. hosted by Ms. Figgy Pudding. In addition, there will also be Drag Queen Bingo at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Two years ago, Batavia Pride had its inaugural year that was so well received in the community! After a year off, we are excited to come back bigger than ever with more events and opportunities for our community to show their PRIDE!

You can sign up for all events here.

Disclaimer

Due to COVID-19 regulations, masks will be required and different events will have different policies and rules. Please check out our website for COVID-19 regulations for each individual event!