Rochester, N.Y. — The local community is mourning the loss of Sue Cowell, a pioneer of social justice in Rochester known for her significant contributions in the fight for women's equality, LGBTQ+ rights and public health in the area.
Cowell, who served that role in the community for more than four decades, was also known as an advocate for HIV and AIDS care, eventually helping establish AIDS Rochester in 1983, which later merged with another organization to form"She leaves a shining legacy of advocacy and support of the cultivation of gay candidates and allies of the LGBTQ community, and for helping to make the city of Rochester one of the most LGBTQ-friendly communities in the country," said Mayor Malik Evans.
William Valenti, co-founder of Trillium, said Cowell made a different in the lives of thousands of people. "She was a mover and a shaker, and she was on top right from the beginning,” Valenti said. "She wanted to get people tested and she wanted to overcome the stigma.”