“Rochester completely caught me off guard. I never expected to stay for long when I moved here in 2007. Six years later, I have completely settled into this big-hearted city. In fact, my partner and I bought our first house in the city last year and are now planning to add to our family. (Read more about that adventure at our blog: Queer Family Matters.)

“My partner and I hail from Western and Central New York, so we thought we knew what Rochester was all about. While it is no San Francisco or Philly, we were surprised by the depth and diversity of the LGBTQ+ communities in Rochester. We joined First Unitarian Church, one of many LGBTQ+ welcoming congregations, soon after arriving here. I’m on the board of ImageOut, a 10-day LGBTQ film festival that is currently the largest LGBTQ film festival in the state and the largest local film festival, period. We are both excited about the unveiling of Trillium Health, a comprehensive medical and social service provider that specializes in LGBTQ+ communities, the only such facility in all of upstate New York.

“As a vegan with a meat-eating partner, we never go hungry in Rochester. We have an impressive number of international cuisines and vegan-friendly restaurants, including my favorite Ethiopian restaurant, Abyssinia, and our favorite vegan-friendly bakery, Get Caked!”

—KaeLyn Rich, Swillburg neighborhood, City of Rochester