Date: October 15, 2026
Time: 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.
Location: Building 3, Room 130 (The Forum)
Monroe Community College’s Institute for the Humanities will celebrate the recent relaunch of The Empty Closet, Rochester’s now-famed LGBTQ+ newspaper. Enjoying continuous monthly publication from 1971 to 2020, The Empty Closet is not only an impressive cultural achievement in the Rochester area, but the longest-running LGBTQ+ publication in New York State.
The October 15 event, called “The Empty Closet: Then and Now,” consists of two guest speakers: Gerry Szymanski and Evan Bobrow. Szymanski will provide an overview of the publication’s history. Bobrow will outline its current and future goals. (Their respective bios are available below.)
This event is free and open to the entire College community, as well as members of the Rochester Community.
Evan Bobrow (he/they) is the founder Rathaus Press, a risograph print shop and community art space. Evan directed Queer Stories Now, an after-school program for queer teens, and The Empty Closet Relaunch Program. Currently, they are a part of The Empty Closet editing team in collaboration with the Rochester Rainbow Union.
Gerry Szymanski is Senior Librarian for Public Services at the Sibley Music Library at the Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester. He is an award-winning filmmaker, composer, photographer, and a noted collector. For over twenty years, Gerry has been the Librarian of the now Lilac Library, the largest circulating collection of LGBTQ+ books and materials in New York State, which houses the complete 60+ year run of The Empty Closet.